Dutchman's Breeches

Being a novice at plant identification, I appreciate Dutchman's Breeches.  They are a darling little plant, and so easy to identify, that even a child can do it.

It is a treat to come upon a patch of these charming plants.  They sit there on the forest floor, intricately fashioned and so delicate.  One imagines tiny fairies have hung out their laundry to dry on a woodland clothesline.

In his book An Introduction to Wildflowers, John Kieran describes their whimsical look:  "It seems like something that might be produced in a toy shop or sold at a candy counter."  Exactly!  They look like tiny little confections ready to be plucked and eaten.  But don't - they may be toxic.