Handbook of Nature-Study · Lesson CXXIV · Topic 19: Spring wildflowers of the woods
124. The May apple, or mandrake
Goal: Your child watches a May apple patch, explains why the plants grow in colonies, and finds the flower hidden under the double “parasol.”
You'll need
- Nature notebook, pencil and colored pencils
- A hand lens (magnifying glass)
- A ruler or tape measure
What's in the book
A Teacher's Story about the May apple (the lesson heading calls it the mandrake) and the lesson: Leading thought, Method and thirteen questions.
The lesson, step by step
When and where
Comstock says to begin in April, as the plants push up through the soil, and come back until the fruit is ripe in summer. Look in open woods and shady pastures for patches of umbrella-like leaves.
Before you go, make sure your child can spot poison ivy: three leaflets on each leaf ("leaves of three, let it be"), often climbing as a hairy vine or growing as a low patch.
The leading thought
These interesting plants grow in colonies because of the spreading of their underground stems. Their odor and poisonous qualities protect them from being eaten by animals, and their fruit is well hidden by its green parasol until it is ripe.
Safety: the May apple's leaves, roots, seeds and green fruit are poisonous. Comstock herself asks:
Why must we not taste of the mandrake root?
We skip her question about whether you like the fruit. In nature study we look, we don't eat.
Umbrellas coming up
How do the mandrakes look when they first appear above the ground? How are the little umbrellas folded in their cases?
Study a patch of mandrakes, and see how many varieties of parasols you can find?
Single and double parasols
Some plants have one leaf; others have two, with a fork in the stem.
Take one of the double parasols. Where is the flower bud to be found? How is it protected from the sun?
Only the two-leaved plants flower. Have your child count how many single and double plants are in the patch.
The flower
Kneel and look under the leaves.
Does the flower have a strong odor?
What insects do you find visiting the mandrake flowers?
Why a colony?
Where are mandrakes found? Do they always grow in patches?
Explain that the plants are joined underground by creeping stems, so one patch can be one big plant family. No need to dig.
Nature notebook
Draw a double parasol with the white flower hanging under the fork. Write how many plants were in the patch and how many had flowers. Wash hands when you come in.
Afterwards
Visit the patch again in late July. Comstock asks: ~ In late July, visit the mandrake patch again. Are there any umbrellas now? What is left of the plants?
Tip
After a walk through woods or tall plants, check everyone for ticks.
Answers to the book's problems
They grow in patches because the underground stems creep and send up new plants. The flower bud is in the fork between the two leaves of a double plant.
Worked out for this site from the scan. If a number in your copy differs, trust the book.