In the book of Genesis, Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit and destined all of mankind to some miserable aspects of existence.
No one knows exactly what the forbidden fruit was, but the image that most
people have in their head is that of an apple.
There’s a plant in Allegany County that goes by the name of apple –
specifically the May apple – but it’s not an apple. I would, though, consider
it a forbidden fruit.
The umbrella plant
The May apple is a fairly common springtime wildflower that can be found in forests, woodlots and hedgerows found all across the region. It can form fair-sized colonies on the forest floor -- it’s not uncommon to see a dozen to a few dozen plants in one area. They can be readily identified by their tell-tale umbrella-like appearance.
The May apple stands a foot to a foot-and-a-half tall. At the top of its split
stem are two large leaves that are deeply-lobed, giving it appearance of having
multiple leaves when really you are just seeing 5 to 9 lobes. Those two leaves
cover a fairly large area, reaching a foot in width together.
Those leaves act as a canopy. Below that canopy is an exquisite single white
flower. Those circular flowers are about 2” in width and they bloom in in mid-
to late-May. That is where the plant gets half of its name.
The forbidden fruit
The other half of the May apple’s name comes from the fruit that begins to
appear in the last week of May and becomes fully ripe around mid-June.
It’s a yellowish fruit, about 2” long that is lemon shaped. Most wilderness
survival and edible plant guidebooks count the May apple as being edible. Some
folks say that it tastes like strawberry. Others think it has a dull flavor
that doesn’t warrant harvest.
Either way, I’ll never know. I don’t want to chance it.
It’s a stretch to consider the May apple to be edible.
The May apple as a whole is an exceptionally poisonous plant and the same can
hold true for the fruit.
When unripe, it is poisonous. The unripe apples are green while the ripe ones
are yellow. But, with two colors so close to one another (greenish-yellow is
the more accurate description of the ripe fruit), what actually constitutes
ripe?
Even when you have good timing, you’re still pushing your luck: The seeds
within the fruit are toxic as are the fruits when eaten in quantity. What
constitutes “quantity”?
I’ll play it safe and hold off on my woodland fruit harvests until the
strawberries and blackcaps ripen.
A plant of powerful poisons
The May apple has been spared decimation by whitetail deer, unlike trilliums
and orchids, because the plant is so poisonous.
The leaves, stems and roots are not kind to the digestive system. It will
inflame the stomach and intestines to the point of killing whoever eats it.
Native Americans ate May apple as a means to commit suicide -- although it was
anything but a quick and painless death.
The magical Mandrake
Because of the appearance of the plant is close to the Middle Eastern Mandrake,
an esteemed plant of supposed magical powers, early settlers thought they could
use it for magic, too.
They did get some use out if it: They learned from the indigenous peoples that
May apple, in small amounts, could rid the body of intestinal worms and serve
as a powerful laxative. Also, its juices could be used to control plantar
warts.
The cancer fighter
Modern science has found real use for May apple.
The plants produce podophyllotoxin, a building block of the cancer drug etoposide.
That drug helps treat lung and testicular cancer and lymphoma. In chemotherapy,
it has been shown to inhibit the activity of an enzyme essential for the
replication of cancer cells, preventing their spread.
In some form or another, May apple has been used as a cancer fighter since the
early 1970s. In that decade alone, some more than 130 tons of May apple roots
were either grown or harvested in the wild.
In recent years, a more efficient means of extracting the toxin has been
employed, ensuring that the plant’s natural stocks won’t be decimated.
The May apple is surely an interesting plant. If you see one while out
exploring the Western NY wilds, marvel at it…don’t eat it. You’re taking a
chance if you do, so appreciate its beauty and its value in helping to keep
alive your family and friends who are battling cancer.
From the 09 May 2022 Wellsville Sun
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