Plant of the Week: Medeola virginiana
Plant of the Week! A small yet beautiful woodland perennial, Medeola virginiana, Cucumber-root, forces observers to pause and come down to its level in order to be fully appreciated. The plant is about a foot tall and consists of one or more whorls of leaves. The upper whorl is smaller and holds flowers just above or below the leaves. The flowers are tiny and nodding, and include greenish-yellow tepals and large, recurving brown/purple stigmata. Large purple berries replace the flowers and are eaten by birds and mice. The common name comes from its edible root, the smell and flavor of which resembles a cucumber. Harvesting the root is not reccommended, however, since this plant is endangered in some parts of the U.S.
For more information, visit: https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/woodland/plants/ind_cukeroot.html
http://ontariowildflowers.com/main/species.php?id=73
