17 



Ord. BERBERIDEJE. 

 Tribe Berberece. 



Genus Podophyllum,* Linn. B. & H., Gen., i, p. 45 ; Baill., 

 iii, p. 74. Species 2, one North American, the other from 

 the Himalaya. 



17. Podophyllum peltatum, Linn., Sp. Plant., ed. 1, p. 505 



(1753). 



May-apple. Mandrake. Wild Lemon. (N. America.) 



Figures. B-dYton, ii, t. 25 ; Bigelow, ii, t. 23 ; Ehret, Plant. Select. (1750), 

 t. 29; A. Gray, 111. Genera, tt. 35, 36. 



Description. A perennial herb with a much elongated creeping 

 rhizome, reaching 6 feet in length, which is cylindrical, rarely 

 branched, dark brown, marked with the scars of the scales which 

 clothe it when young, and at intervals of 2 or 3 inches with 

 the bases of the flowering stems of previous years, terminating 

 in an erect flowering stem, its growth in the horizontal direc- 

 tion being continued by a bud at the base of the flowering 

 stem. Hoots given off at each joint of the rhizome, fibrous, 

 rather thick, simple. Stems either flowerless or flowering, 

 erect, about a foot high, cylindrical, smooth, pale green or 

 pinkish. Leaves on the flowerless stems solitary, peltate ; on the 

 flowering stems two, opposite, terminating the stem, petioles 

 about 3 inches long, erect, curved, cylindrical, blade hori- 

 zontal or somewhat inclined, about 5 inches wide, very deeply 

 palmately cut into 5 7 oblong or inversely wedge-shaped seg- 

 ments coarsely toothed or cut at their ends, perfectly glabrous 

 and shining, wavy, rather glaucous green. Flower solitary, 

 about 2 inches across, on a short, strongly curved peduncle, 

 coming off from the fork between the two leaves, with three 

 small fugacious bracts beneath the flower. Sepals 6, unequal, 

 quickly caducous, blunt, pale green, imbricate. Petals 6 9, 



* Name from TTOVQ, a foot, and <}>v\\ov, a leaf, from the resemblance of that 

 organ to the foot of some aquatic birds. 



