DEEP, COOL, MOIST WOODS 397 



a bunch of bright-red berries. This small lily-of-the-valley is 

 one of the flowers dear to children, who love to press their 

 little fingers into a bed of the shining leaves, mixed with 

 mosses, looking for the downy, fine blossoms. Height, 4 

 to 7 inches. Stem often bent. 



In moist woods from New England to North Carolina and 

 westward. 



94. Indian Cucumber-root 



Medeola Virginiana. — Family, Lily-of-the-valley. Color, 

 greenish yellow. Leaves, a whorl around the stem, near the 

 middle, of 5 to 9 ovate or long and narrow, pointed, thin 

 leaves; above, just under the flowers like an involucre, an- 

 other whorl of 3 to s, broader and shorter. Time, June. 



Perianth of 6 equal, oblong segments. Stamens, 6. A 

 woolly plant, 2 or 3 feet high, with a single unbranched stem, 

 bearing at its summit 3 to 9 small, lily-shaped flowers, on long, 

 slender pedicels. In fall these produce dark - purple, con- 

 spicuous berries. The tuberous fleshy rootstocks taste a little 

 like the cucumber. 



Nova Scotia to Florida. 



95. Hairy Solomon's-seal 



Polygonatum biflbrum. — Family, Lily-of-the-valley. Color, 

 greenish yellow. Leaves, alternate, broad, ovate, narrow at 

 base, acute at apex, nearly sessile, parallel-veined ; 2 to 4 

 inches long, pale green, softly hairy along the veins beneath. 

 Time, May to July. 



Flowers cylindrical, bell-shaped, perianth 6-divided at the 

 top. They hang under the stem, mostly in pairs, sometimes 

 in threes, small, as compared with the protecting, overhanging 

 leaves. An interesting spring flower, growing from a jointed 

 rootstock, which is scarred or sealed where the former upright 

 growths have fallen off. The flower-bearing stem (2 or 3 feet 



