Wild-Flower Study 521 



being opposite one of the inner petals. After the flower is fully open, the 

 stamens spread and each anther is easily seen to be grooved, and each 

 edge of the groove opens for the whole of its length ; but because of its 

 shape and position, it lets the pollen fall away from the pistil instead of 

 toward it; nor do the tips of the anthers reach the waxy, white, ruffled 

 stigma. There is no nectar in this flower; but the big queen bumblebee 

 likes the pollen for her new nest, and she "bumbles" around in the flower 

 while getting her load, so that she becomes well dusted with the pollen, 

 and thus carries it from flower to flower. But the whole story of the 

 pollen carriers of the May apple is, as yet, untold; and any child who is 

 willing to give time and attention to discovering the different insects 

 which visit this flower, may give to the world valuable and, as yet, un- 

 known facts. It is said that a white moth is often found hanging to the 

 flowers, but it is difficult to understand why the moth should be there if 

 the flower does not have any nectar. 



The seed-vessel at the center of the flower is large and chunky, and, 

 although crowned with its ruffled stigma, looks as if it were surely going to 

 "grow up" into a May apple. There are usually six wide, white, rounded 

 petals, three on the outside and three on the inside; but sometimes there 

 are as many as nine. There are usually twice as many stamens as petals, 

 but I have often found thirteen stamens, which is not twice any possible 

 number of petals. The petals soon fall, and, safely hidden from the eyes 

 of enemies, the green fruit^which is a berry instead of an apple — has 

 nothing to do but gather sweetness, until in July it is as juicy and luscious 

 to the thirsty child as if it were the fruit of the gods. It is about two 

 inches long, a rich yellow in color, and is sometimes called the "wild 

 lemon," although it is not sour. It is also called the hog-apple because 

 the clever swine of the South know how to find it, despite its parasol. 

 Riley thus celebrates this fruit : 



"And will any poet sing of a lusher, richer thing. 

 Than a ripe May apple, rolled like a pulpy lump of gold 

 Under thumb and finger tips; and poured molten through the lipsf" 



If the May apple itself is edible, certainly its root is not, except when 

 given by physicians as a medicine, for it is quite poisonous when eaten. 

 When we see plants growing in colonies or patches, it usually means that 

 very interesting things are going on underground beneath them, and the 

 mandrake is no exception to this. Each plant has a running underground 

 stem, straight and brown and fairly smooth; at intervals of a few inches, 

 there are attached to it rosettes of stout, white roots, which divide into 

 tiny, crooked rootlets. There is a large rosette of these roots under the 

 plant we are studying, and we can always find a rosette of them under the 

 place where the plant stood last year. Beneath the present plant we can 

 find the bud from which will grow the root-stem for the coming year. The 

 working out of the branching and the peculiarities of these root-stems, is 

 an excellent lesson in this peculiar and interesting kind of plant reproduc- 

 tion. 



LESSON CXXIV 

 The Mandrake 



Leading thought — These interesting plants grow in colonies because of 

 the spreading of their underground stems. Their odor and poisonous 

 qualities protect them from being eaten by animals, and their fruit is 

 well hidden by its green parasol until it is ripe. 



