Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum) lias small 
greenish, bell-shaped flowers about one-half inch in 
length, hanging in pairs on slender peduncles from the 
axils of the leaves. The stem is 1 to 2 feet in height. 
The oblong-lanceolate leaves alternate along, and are 
partly seated on, the stem; deep green above and glau- 
cus or whitish below. Very common in woods from 
N. B. to Ont. and southwards, flowering from April to 
June. 
These plants receive their name from the thick, fleshy 
and knotted rootstalks. They are perennials, each year 
throwing up new stalks; after flowering these wither 
away and leave pronounced scars on the roots. Ihese 
scars suggested the name of Solomon’s Seal and the 
number of them probably accurately denotes the ages of 
the plants. Both the large and the small species grow 
in the same localities. They can readily be distin¬ 
guished by comparison, for commutatum is always 
"larger in all its parts; while it may be but a foot and 
a half tall it will be stouter and have comparatively 
larger flowers than its relative. Often it assumes ti uly 
gigantic size and may tower above a tall man s head. 
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