Common Names
American twinleaf, ground squirrel pea, helmet pod, rheumatism root, twinleaf, yellow root.

Description
An erect shrub that grows to 2 feet. Stalk is topped by 2 identical, opposite, half-ovate leaf segments. Flowers are white, 1 inch across. Fruit is a large capsule.

Flowering Period
March to April.

Habitat
Rich, damp, shaded woods.

Harvest
Root in fall.

Uses
The rhizomes and roots have been used to treat chronic rheumatism, dropsy, spasms, and as a gargle. In small doses, the drug is an expectorant; in large doses it is an emetic. It also has been considered a diuretic, alterative, and antispasmodic.