. ▁The ▁fol i age ▁has ▁a ▁cit rus - like ▁sp icy ▁a rom atic ▁quality , ▁and ▁can ▁be ▁used ▁to ▁flav or ▁be er . ▁It ▁is ▁a ▁flow ering ▁plant ▁with ▁incon sp ic uous ▁flowers ▁that ▁are ▁arranged ▁on ▁a ▁later al ▁sp ad ix ▁( a ▁thick ened , ▁f les hy ▁axis ) ▁and ▁the ▁fert il ized ▁flowers ▁produce ▁ber ries ▁with ▁a ▁jel ly ▁inside . ▁This ▁plant ▁is ▁protected ▁as ▁a ▁state ▁end anger ed ▁species ▁in ▁Pennsylvania . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁▁ ▁The ▁name ▁" A cor us " ▁is ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁Greek ▁word ▁' ac or on ', ▁a ▁name ▁used ▁by ▁Dios cor ides , ▁which ▁in ▁turn ▁was ▁derived ▁from ▁' core on ', ▁meaning ▁' p up il ', ▁because ▁it ▁was ▁used ▁in ▁her bal ▁medicine ▁as ▁a ▁treatment ▁for ▁infl amm ation ▁of ▁the ▁eye . ▁ ▁The ▁species ▁name , ▁" amer ican us " ▁simply ▁indicates ▁that ▁this ▁is ▁an ▁American ▁species ▁of ▁this ▁genus , ▁differenti ating ▁it ▁from ▁the ▁very ▁similar ▁European ▁and ▁western ▁Asian ▁species ▁A cor us ▁cal am us . ▁ ▁Tax onomy ▁ ▁A cor us ▁amer ican us ▁was ▁formerly ▁class ified ▁as ▁A cor us ▁cal am us ▁var . ▁amer ican us . ▁It ▁diff ers ▁only ▁in ▁being ▁a ▁fert ile ▁dip lo id ▁( 2 n ▁= ▁ 2 4 ) ], ▁whereas ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁A . ▁cal am us