Description
Paris – Daiswa –
There are about 20 vigorous, herbaceous and rhizomatous perennial in this genus. They occur in woodlands from Europe to the Caucasus, and form the Himalayas to Eastern Asia. From erect stems each carry a whorl of 4 or more very variable 1-4″. Lance shaped to oval, mid or dark green leaves, just below a solitary, terminal, wheel shaped, spider like, or star shaped 4 to 6 petaled flowers, with protruding stamens. The flowers are followed by fleshy, capsular fruits with shiny, black or red seeds, these may cause mild stomach upset if ingested. Suitable for a woodland, wild garden, or shady rock garden.
Grow in moist, fertile, leafy soil in full or partial shade. Divide after leaves have died down every 3 or 4 years.
Prone to slugs.
P. quadrifolia – This upright perennial from Eurasia grows 6-16″ tall and 12″ wide. From creeping rhizomes it sprouts erect stems, each with a whorl of usually 4, sometimes 5 or 6, ovate, mid green leaves, 2-6″ long. In late spring it bears solitary, star shaped flowers, 1 ½-3″ across, with mid green outer tepals, white inner tepals, and twice as many stamens as inner tepals, these are followed by blue-black, spherical, berry like capsules, ½” across.
Zones 5-8
