294 



SMILACEiE. 



Medeola. 



Tribe I. PARIDEsE. Bard. 



Styles distinct. — Leaves mostly with reticulated veins. Flowers terminal. 



1. MEDEOLA.. Gronov. ; Endl. gen. 1178. INDIAN CUCUMBER. 



[From Medea, the name of a sorceress ; because the plant was thought to possess great medicinal virtues.] 



Gyromia, Nutt. 



Perianth petaloid, 6-partcd, deciduous ; the segments revolute. Stamens 6, inserted into the 

 the base of the perianth : anthers linear-oblong, slightly inirorse. Ovary 3-celled, with 

 several analropous ovules in each cell : style 3, filiform, elongated, divaricate, obscurely 

 stigmatose along the upper side. Berry 3-celled ; the cells 1 - 3-seeded. Seeds roundish, 

 compressed. — A perennial herb, with a tuberous horizontal rhizoma, simple stem, and 

 verticillate leaves. Flowers terminal, aggregated ; the pedicels without bracts. 



1. Medeola Virginica, Linn. Indian Cucumber. Cucumber-root. 



Linn. sp. 1. p. 339 ; Michx. fl. 1. p. 214 ; Bot. mag. t. 1306 ; Pursh, fl. 1. p. 244 ; 

 Bart. veg. mat. med. t. 38 ; Bigel. fl. Bast. p. 141 ; Ell. sk. 1. p. 425 ; Beck, bot. p. 360 ; 

 Hook. fl. Bor.-Am. 2. p. 179. Gyromia Virginica, Nutt. gen. 1. p. 238 ; Torr. fl. 1. p. 374 ; 

 Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 234 ; Kunth, enum. 4. p. 277. 



Rhizoma oblong, white, 1-2 inches long, fleshy. Stem about a foot and a half high, 

 clothed with a brownish deciduous wool. Leaves in two whorls, with 3 principal nerves and 

 intermediate reticulated and branching veins ; the lower whorl above the middle of the stem, 

 consisting of 6 - 8 (sometimes 5 or 9) oblong-lanceolate acuminate leaves ; the upper whorl 

 of 2 - 3 smaller ovate leaves, which are often stained with crimson when the plant is in fruit. 

 Peduncles 3-6 (sometimes more), about half an inch long, arising from the centre of the 

 upper whorl, and recurved between ihe leaves. Perianth pale greenish yellow ; the segments 

 oblong, obtuse. Stamens shorter than the perianth, erect : fdaments slender, smooth : anthers 

 obtuse. Styles sometimes 4, purple, longer than the stamens, grooved and slightly glandular 

 along the upper side. Ovary roundish, with about 4 ovules in each cell in a double series. 

 Berry globose, dark purple : seeds compressed, somewhat 3-sided, seldom more than a single 

 perfect one in each cell. 



Moist woods and shady places, usually in rich soil : frequent. Fl. May - June. Fr. 

 September. The reputed medicinal virtues of this plant are altogether imaginary. The 

 flavor of the root or rhizoma, in a slight degree, resembles that of cucumbers. It was shown 

 long ago by Michaux, that the African M. asparagoides belonged to a different genus from 

 this ; but M. Virginica being the original species, the generic name of Gronovius must be 

 retained for the North American plant. 



