bladdernut, Staphylea trifolia

Bladdernut is a woodland shrub. It gets its name from the one-inch hollow husks that contain a few hard quarter-inch seeds. The seeds were used in ceremonial rattles by the Meskwaki. The Iroquois found several medicinal uses, but mostly as an analgesic. Bladdernut grows in AL, AR, CT, DE, FL(E), GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH(T), NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV, ON, and QC(L). Ives Fen Preserve, Lenawee Co MI, 5/11/11.