Podophyllum Peltatum.
Duck's-foot, sometimes called May Apple; Nat. Ord. Podophyllaceæ.
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.
The flowers are white, not unlike the small white dog-rose in both size and form; the calyx is of three leaves, which fall off; the corolla, of six to nine petals; peduncle nearly an inch long, which joins the stem at the junction of the two leaf stalks, only one flower being produced on a stem or plant. The leaves join the rather tall and naked stem by stalks, 2in. to 3in. long; they are handsome in both form and habit. As the specific name implies, the leaves are peltate or umbrella-shaped, deeply lobed, each lobe being deeply cut, and all unevenly toothed and hairy at the edges, with a fine down covering the under sides; the upper surface is of a lively, shining green colour, and finely veined. The flower is succeeded by a large one-celled ovate berry, in size and form something like a damson, but the colour is yellow when ripe, at which stage the berry becomes more conspicuous than the flower could be, from the manner in which the young leaves were held.
We want cheerful-looking plants for the bare parts under trees, and this is a suitable one, provided the surface soil has a good proportion of vegetable matter amongst it, and is rather moist. The thick horizontal roots creep near the surface, so it will be seen how important it is to secure them against drought otherwise than by depth of covering; a moist and shady position, then, is indispensable. In company with trilliums, hellebores, anemones, and ferns, this graceful plant would beautifully associate. Another way to grow it is in pots, when exactly the required kind of compost can easily be given, viz., peat and chopped sphagnum. Thus potted, plunged in wet sand, and placed in a northern aspect, it will be found not only to thrive well, as several specimens have done with me, but also to be worth all the trouble. To propagate it, the long creeping roots should be cut in lengths of several inches, and to a good bud or crown. When so cut in the autumn, I have proved them to rot when planted, but others buried in sand until February, and then planted, have done well.
Flowering period, May and June.