he
little soft creamy white flowers spring from the junction of the twin
leaf-stalks; their anthers are bulky for so small a flower. The calyx
continues to grow after the flower has faded, and forms the
Chinese-lantern-like covering of the scarlet berry; the latter will be
over 1/2in. in diameter, and the orange-coloured calyx 11/2in., when fully
developed. In autumn the older stems cast their leaves early, when the
finely-coloured fruit shows to advantage; the younger stems keep green
longer, and continue to flower until stopped by the frost. To this short
description I may add that of Gerarde, which is not only clear but
pleasantly novel: "The red winter Cherrie bringeth foorth stalkes a
cubite long, rounde, slender, smooth, and somewhat reddish, reeling this
way and that way by reason of his weakness, not able to stande vpright
without a support: whereupon do growe leaues not vnlike to those of
common nightshade, but greater; among which leaues come foorth white
flowers, consisting of five small leaues; in the middle of which leaues
standeth out a berrie, greene at the first, and red when it is ripe, in
colour of our common Cherrie and of the same bignesse, which is enclosed
in a thinne huske or little bladder of a pale reddish colour, in which
berrie is conteined many small flat seedes of a pale colour. The rootes
be long, not vnlike to the rootes of Couch grasse, ramping and creeping
within the vpper crust of the earth farre abroade, whereby it encreaseth
greatly."

The stems, furnished with fruit of good colour, but otherwise bare, make
capital decorations for indoors, when mixed with tall grasses, either
fresh or dried, and for such purposes this plant is worth growing; any
kind of soil will do, in an out-of-the-way part, but if in shade, the
rich colour will be wanting.

Flowering period, June to frosts.

Podophyllum Peltatum.

DUCK'S-FOOT, _sometimes called_ MAY APPLE; _Nat. Ord._
PODOPHYLLACEAE.

[Illustration: FIG. 75. PODOPHYLLUM PELTATUM.

(One-third natural size.)]

A hardy herbaceous perennial from North America, more or less grown in
English gardens since 1664. As may be seen from the illustration (Fig.
75), it is an ornamental plant, and though its flowers are interesting,
they are neither showy nor conspicuous, as, from the peculiar manner in
which they are produced, they are all but invisible until sought out.
Its leaves and berries constitute the more ornamental parts of the
plant.