CRUCIFERAE 



MUSTARD FAMILY 



TOOTHWORT. PEPPER ROOT 



Dent aria laciniata Muhl. 



The Toothwort, sometimes called Pepper Root, grows in 

 rich moist woods and blooms in April and early May, thus taking 

 advantage of the sun that reaches the then unshaded forest floor. 

 It is found from Que- 

 bec to Minnesota, 

 south to Florida and 

 Louisiana, and is 

 common throughout 

 Illinois. 



The plant is per- 

 ennial by under- 

 ground stems which 

 are rather deep in 

 the soil and are di- 

 vided into tuberlike 

 joints that are readily 

 separable. These 

 tubers are edible, 

 having a pleasant 

 peppery taste com- 

 parable to the Radish 

 or Cress, and have 

 furnished a delightful 

 addition to many a lunch on a springtime hike. The stem, grow- 

 ing 8-15 inches high, is usually hairy, at least towards the upper 

 end, but it may be entirely smooth. 



There are ordinarily 3 leaves, two of which are shown, 

 arranged in a whorl on the stem. They are 3-parted nearly to 

 the base, the divisions lanceolate, linear or oblong, deeply cut 

 toothed or lobed, and the lateral ones often deeply 2-cleft. 

 Usually there are no other leaves at flowering time but later 

 some basal leaves, similar but with longer petioles, may be 

 produced to carry the work of food manufacture well into the 

 summer. 



The flowers have the structure characteristic of the family 

 and are white or in some cases tinged with pink or purple. 

 The fruit is a linear, ascending pod i-i>2 inches long and con- 

 taining I row o\ seeds in each halt. 



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