The Solomon's seal (Polygonatum biflorum) is blooming now at the preserve. This is the "true" Solomon's seal which gets its name from the shape of the leaf scar which is said to resemble the seal of King Solomon (Audubon Field Guide to Wildflowers, p. 611).
There is also a false Solomon's seal (Smilacina racemosa) that has feathery flowers only at the terminal tip of the plant, rather than bell-shaped ones in the leaf axils all the way down the stem. False Solomon's seal, which is sometimes classified in the genus Maianthemum, is not in the same genus as Solomon's seal—regardless of name offered. When not in flower the two look similar, but the false Solmon's seal lacks the distinctive leaf scar.
