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Pretty Herb Paris.

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There's a nature preserve a few hundred meters thataway...

... and I took a class out there last week (as I write it) or a few weeks ago (as you read this). There was a stand of herb paris (Paris quadrifolia), pretty cool, in a shady spot, but they were only just producing flowerbuds, so I thought to return once they had flowers.

Pic: Herb paris in flower.

Which was today (as I write this) or a week or two ago (as you read this). Pretty, no? They're much like Trilliums, in that trilliums are divided into threes all the way: these are divided into fours all the way. Except for the odd five-leaf plant, which will have five-part flowers.

The berry, in fall, is single, and black.

It's considered toxic over here; I'll have to look up details on toxicity and possible herbal uses one of these weeks.

Comments

extremely toxic (all parts). Called Raven's eye in Russian herbal medicine. Collected in flowering period. Used in very small dose in TB treatment. It also improves appetite and increases intestinal peristalsis.