MAYAPPLE 



Podophyllum peltatum Linnaeus 



The mayapple is one of our familiar plants of spring, with its um- 

 brella-shaped leaves and its cream-colored flowers hanging shyly below 

 the forked leaf stalk. The flower is soon followed by an egg-shaped 

 fruit which may be eaten when ripe, though the flavor is not espe- 

 cially good. Mayapples prefer a rich soil in partially shaded situations. 

 The genus contains five species, all except this one being natives of Asia. 

 They are members of the Barberry Family. The name mandrake, which 

 belongs to an old-world plant of another family, is often misapplied in 

 America to the mayapple. 



The mayapple ranges from Florida to Texas, and northward to 

 Quebec, Ontario, and Minnesota. 



The specimen sketched was found at Washington, District of 

 Columbia. 



PLATE 143 



