17 PODOPHYLLUM PELTATUM 



hypogynous, twice as long as the sepals, obovate-oval, nearly 

 equal, delicate, finely veined, white, soon falling. Stamens 

 12 18, hypogynous, filaments slender, short, anthers linear, 

 about as long as the filaments, 2-celled, bursting longitudinally. 

 Pistil superior, composed of one carpel ; ovary ovoid, smooth, one- 

 celled, longer than the stamens, with numerous ovules arranged 

 in many rows on the parietal (ventral) placenta; stigma almost 

 sessile, large, thick, peltate, lobed and undulated. Fruit a 

 yellowish berry, usually 1^ to 2 inches long, ovoid, soft, and 

 fleshy, indehiscent. Seeds about 12 or more, attached to the 

 greatly enlarged placenta, yellow, each surrounded by a pulpy 

 aril, which nearly encloses it, the whole forming a soft mass 

 which completely fills the cavity of the fruit ; embryo small, at 

 the base of the abundant endosperm. 



Habitat. This pretty plant is very common in rich moist 

 woods throughout the United States and Canada, and is in flower 

 in May. The fruit is not ripe till the autumn, and is somewhat 

 sparingly produced; it has a very pleasant subacid flavour, and 

 varies much in size, but is usually about as large as a plum. 

 The May-apple will grow in England, where it was first culti- 

 vated in 1664, and is to be seen in most botanic gardens. 



Hook, Fl. Bot. Am., i, p. 31 ,- A. Gray, Man. Bot. U. S., p. 54 ; 

 Chapman, Fl. South. States, p. 18; DC. Prod., i, p. Ill ; Lindl., 

 Fl. Med., p. 13. 



Official Parts and Names. 1. PODOPHYLLI RADIX; the dried 

 rhizome: 2. PODOPHYLLI RESINA; the resin (B. P.). The dried 

 rhizome (I. P.). PODOPHYLLUM, May-apple; the rhizome 

 (U. S. P.). 



1. PODOPHYLLI RADIX. Podophyllum Root. May-apple Root. 

 Collection and Commerce. The root, or as it is more correctly 

 termed the rhizome, is most active when obtained after the 

 leaves have fallen; this is commonly the case about August, at 

 which period it is therefore generally collected, and then dried for 

 use. The dried rhizome is but rarely used in itself as a medicinal 

 agent, but almost entirely for the preparation of the resin, the 



