Mayapple - is it erotic

Yes, I’m still writing the William Burroughs text (see below). This Burroughs text is slowly becoming a labour of love, so I will not mention it again until completed - I want to take all the time it deserves.

As for today, I was struck how this plant takes on both the form of male and female sex organs, striking really. I’m sure Georgia O’Keeffe wished they grew in her desert environment so that she could paint the plant in its female like form.

In these parts, it is called Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum); also known by others as Devil's apple, hog apple, Indian apple, umbrella plant, wild lemon, and American mandrake. It also comes from the apothecary of the woods as its roots contain high levels of podophyllotoxin, alpha and beta peltatin, all of which have anticancer properties. Native Americans and European settlers used the root for all sorts of medical purposes: a laxative, worms and warts. The Chinese use it to cure snakebites and tumors on the genitals.
The flower is waxy white and blooms in May, thus the name. The flower develops into a pulpy, lemon-yellow berry which ripens in late summer and is the only part of the plant that isn't poisonous (the berries should only be eaten in moderation, if at all).
It is found in woodlands throughout North and Eastern America. These grow in the soil next to my studio.

Mayapple sprout - as a male

I just grow it because I like it, as I will never be rubbing any of it on my genitals or eating the berries for that matter. That said it is remarkable that the plant takes on the form of male and female sex organs in its development. If you asked me, it is probably because of its phallic resemblance that it was used on this sensitive area. No, I am not a Puritan; I just like to remind myself that this is a sensitive area in more ways than one. Us men, always seem to have our brains located in the wrong area, wouldn’t you say. What kills me at my age is when neither of them get used much, the brain or the… Oh well I can’t change nature, just subdue it a while. I like the female image below, as it gets me thinking of… Time for rain and a cold shower – lol :}~

Mayapple sprout - as a female

I’m an artist so I have a license to think in the abstract.