Pretty Herb Paris.

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.