What on earth is this plant with the weird cylindrical pink fruits? The leaf looks a lot like Baneberry, but a bit beefier, and I've never seen a Baneberry with pink cylinders on it. Sorry the pic is a little fuzzy. I went back intending to take a better focussed pic, but I could not locate the plant again. To the best of my recollection, it was growing in shade near Hemlock trees.

I found it again (I had been looking in the wrong place, duh!). Here's another pic.

Could it possibly be red baneberry with a couple of mutant fruits? The shiny pink cylinders are hard and dry to the touch.

Or it could be white baneberry (Actaea pachypoda) and those could be the stems w/fruit gone?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/a...

http://www.pernellgerver.com/w...

Adding a link to the ATP database:
Doll's Eyes (Actaea pachypoda)

I'd say that's a good call, Christine.

Wow, how easily we are fooled by our own expectations!

Good job, Chelle!

wildflowers said:Or it could be white baneberry (Actaea pachypoda) and those could be the stems w/fruit gone?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/a...

http://www.pernellgerver.com/w...

Adding a link to the ATP database:
Doll's Eyes (Actaea pachypoda)

Christine (wildflowers) discovered the answer.

I just added my two cents worth after the fact.

Oops, of course!

Sorry Christine!
You're the one deserving of the extra praise!

Exactly right, Christine! You get an acorn! Would you believe, for weeks I have been walking past a white baneberry with a full stem of berries about a quarter-mile away from this plant, and I still couldn't recognize the stem without the berries. And I have a new pair of glasses. How unobservant am I? Very!

June, I think it was more like what Rick said, it didn't look as you expected. So it just took my inexperienced eye to see.

Thank You!! I'm so excited I was able to help!