318 POLYANDRIA MOKOGYKIA 



Obs. The root (or rather the subterraneous stem) of this plant possesses emetic 

 and other medicinal properties,— which have bo en favorably noticed by several 

 respectablo physicians. It is the only species of the genus. 



251. PODOPHYLLUM. /,. Nutt. Gen. 465. 



[Greek, Pous, podos, a foot, and Phyllon, a leaf; the leaf resembling a web toot.] 



Calyx of 3 caducous sepals. Petals 6 to 9. Stigma subscssile, pel- 

 tate, crenate, persistent. JBerry somewhat fleshy, Lcelled. 



Herbaceous: stem short; leaves terminal, in opposite pairs, or solitary, peltate, 

 lobed; flower solitary, dichotomal, pedunculate. Nat. Orel. 8. Lsnctt. Pcdophyl- 



LBJB. 



1. P. pkltati'm, /,. Stem erect, mostly 2 leaved ; leaves peltate, pal- 

 mate-lobed ; fruit oval, Beck, Hot. p. 18. 



Peltate Podophyllum. Vulgo — May Apple. Hoc; Apple, 



riant smooth. Root perennial, large, horizontal, cree| in •. Stem 8to 12 or 15 

 inches high, naked, with sheathing stipules at base, dichotomous at summit,— or di- 

 riding into ^petioles 2to 1 inches in length, each bearing a peltate leaf. Leaves 

 4 to 6 inches in diameter, deeply divided into about 6 or 7 lobes ; lobes cutieate-ol 

 Ion?, dentate and often bifid at apex, Fimeer solitary in the fork of the petioles ; 

 peduncle about an inch longj mostly recurved. Sepals ovate. Petals white, obo- 

 Tate, larger than the sepals. Stamens about as long as the ovary ; anthers long . 

 linear, adnate to the filaments. Ovary elliptic-ovoid; stigma subsessile, largei 

 crenatcly lobed and convolute on the surface. Berry oval, somewhat compressed, 

 an inch to an inch and a half Ion?, smooth, yellowish when mature, succulent and 

 pulpy, esculent, but not very palatable. 



Hub. Moist woodlands; meadows, &c. frequent. Fl. May. Fr. August. 



Obs. The stem is frequently simple,— terminating In a single leaf ;— in winch 

 case it does not flower, or very rarely produces a lateral one, below the leaf. The 

 thick creeping root possesses cathartic properties ; and affords a g >od substitute f r 

 Jalap. It is probably the only species of the genus,— though a second onv has 

 been named, on the authority of Rqfinesque, as growing in L uisiana. 



252. NUPHAR. Sm. J\*utt. Gen. 468. 

 [A name of obscure meaning,— said to be derived from the Aral ic] 



Calyx of 5 or 6 sepals. Petals 10 to 18, inserted along with the sta- 

 mens into a disk which surrounds the base of the ovary. Stigma see 

 sile, peltate, orbicular, radiated. Fruit capsular, subcarnose, urceolale, 

 many-celled, many-seeded. 



Herbaceous aquatics : rhizoma creeping ; leaves alternate, floating, or emerging ■ 

 flowers solitary, pedunculate, emerging. Nat. Ord. 5. IdndL Nvmphjeacfa-' 



1. N. adtexa, Ait. LeaTes cordate, with dherging lobes; petioles 

 semicylindrical ; sepals 6, unequal ; petals numerous, small ; fruit sul- 

 cate. Beck, Bot. p. 20. 



Nyinphrca advene. Willd. Sp. 2./>. 1152. J\ix. Jim. I. p. 311. Per*. 

 Syn. 2. p. 63. Muhl. Catal. p. 52. 



Strange Nupuar. Vulgo — Spatter-dock. Yellow Pond-lily. 



Root perennial. Rhizoma Tery largo (often several feet long, and 2 inches or 

 more indiamoter), creeping horizontals, with the roots on the under side, and th 

 scars of former petioles on the upper. Leaves 8 to 10 or 12 inches long, and 6 to 8 



