MAY-APPLE

an egg-shaped, yellowish, fleshy fruit, about two inches long and enclosing numerous seeds, borne by the Podophyllum peltatwn, a woodland herb commonly known as the ‘American mandrake.’’ The latter title is unfortunate, as the mandrake proper, a plant growing in Mediterranean regions, is poisonous, and the connection of names has resulted in the may-apple also being popularly so considered—quite ineorrectly, for it may be eaten freely with impunity and deserves to he more generally known and used. It is not partieularly choice as a fresh fruit. but it makes very good marmalade. Its general colloquial name of ‘‘may-apple’’ and others such as hog-apple and wild lemon have also been poorly selected—it does not look like an apple nor taste like a lemon.