NATURE NOTES: Golden threads along the ground Annie Reid Westborough Community Land Trust Our bare, leafless April woods offer wildflower treats that appear as sunlight floods the forest floor, allowing early spring woodland wildflowers to bloom. Goldthread is one such treat, with small white blossoms in spring. There’s another treat in fall when its thin, golden thread-like “roots” become easier to spot along the ground. Three-leaved goldthread (Coptis trifolia, Coptis groenlandica) is also called canker root for good historical reasons. It was much sought-after for medicinal uses by Native Americans and early settlers who learned about it from them. Later it played a part in 19th century American medicine. People chewed the golden root (actually an underground stem known as a rhizome) to relieve mouth sores. They also made tea from the root to treat sore throats and to wash inflamed eyes. Drinking tea made from the root was a traditional remedy for various ailments, such as jaundice, upset stomach, nausea, worms, and even alcoholism. The root has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, due mainly to the chemical berberine. These days, the related Chinese goldthread (Coptis chinensis) has a bigger role in herbal medicine than our native goldthread.