


PLANTS GROWING IN RICH OR ROCKY SOIL. 143 
FALSE LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY. TWO-LEAVED 
SOLOMON’S SEAL. 
Unifolium Canadénse, 
FAMILY COLOUR ODOUR RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 
Lily-of-the-valley. White or Scentless. New England south- May, June. 
Saint yellow. ward and westward. 
Flowers: small; clustered in aterminal spike. Ferzanth: four-parted. 
Stamens: four. fistid: one; stigma two-lobed. F7rzz/¢: a round, red berry. 
Leaves: similar to those of the true lily-of-the-valley ; long, pointed, heart- 
shaped at base. Stem: short; five inches high; bearing two leaves. 
The name of this little plant is most misleading, as its leaves 
alone suggest any resemblance to the lily-of-the-valley. The 
flowers are more like those of a small Solomon’s seal. It is 
found abundantly on the edges of mossy, deep woods and is 
very gentle and sweet. In the late summer its spikes of red 
berries are also extremely pretty. 
INDIAN CUCUMBER-ROOT. 
Medéola Virgintana. 
FAMILY COLOUR _ ODOUR RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 
Liiy-of-the-valley. Greentsh yellow. Scentless. Rather general, June. 
Flowers : small; clustered on short reflexed pedicels at the summit of the 
stem. Perzanth : of six reflexed segments. Stamens : six, of deep, rich brown. 
Pist:l : one with three recurved, long, brown stigmas. JLeaves: in two sets of 
whorls ; the lower set of seven to nine ovate-lanceolate, netted-veined leaves ; 
the upper set of three to four smaller leaves. Stem: erect; and covered, as 
the leaves, with a cottony fuzz, apparently quite loose. ootstock: thick ; 
somewhat suggesting in taste and appearance a cucumber. 
When Columbus discovered America’ and the Indians, he 
must also have discovered the cucumber-root. ‘They are alike 
characteristic of the soil of North America. Like the primitive 
people it loves so well, the plant is a model of erectness and 
symmetry of form. It has also the Indian’s love of seclusion 
and the silence of the forest. 
Owing to its being possessed of medical properties, the ge- 
neric name JV/edeola is after the sorceress Medea. She it was 
who mixed the portion for the sleepless dragon that guarded 
the golden fleece ; and enabled Jason to carry it off, as well as 

