Keith wasn't fooled by my shenanigans. These are the bulblets of the roots of Dicentra cucullaria, Dutchman's Breeches. These bulblets go dormant after the plant goes to fruit, and they remain dormant until fall. The beginning stages of leaves and flower buds are then formed underground. These primordial leaves and flower buds remain dormant until the spring, when they emerge from the mesic forest floor.
Dicentra cucullaria
There is a spectacular photo of a Dicentra cucullaria plant, including flower, leaves, and root with bulblets on flickr that you can access by clicking here.
Keith mentioned the bulblets of Dicentra canadensis looking similar to those in my quiz but being more round and more yellow-orange. That's exactly right, and a photo of these bulblets is shown above. Some botanists claim to be able to distinguish between these two closely related species based on the color of the undersides of the leaves... if you're ever in doubt, just clear off a little soil and check out the bulblets to tell for sure which species you are dealing with.
Dicentra canadensis
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