familyBerberidaceae
genusPodophyllum
speciesPodophyllum peltatum

Podophyllum peltatum

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 1: 505. 1753.

Lisa O'Rourke George
Common names: May-apple Indian-apple wild-mandrake pomme de mai podophylle pelté
EndemicIllustrated
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.
Please click on the illustration for a higher resolution version.
Illustrator: John Myers

Copyright: Flora of North America Association

Rhizomes: annual elongation increments (2-) 6-20 cm. Leaves of nonflowering shoots 2-5 dm; blade 18-38 × 18-38 cm. Flowering shoots 3-6 dm; leaves nearly opposite, slightly unequal in size; petioles 5-15 cm; proximal blades 10-35 × 14-40 cm, distal blades 6-25 × 10-33 cm. Leaf-blades 5-7 (-9) -parted, parts lobed or not (frequently 2-lobed), margins entire or coarsely dentate, teeth apiculate; surfaces abaxially sparsely pubescent to glabrous. Flowers solitary, nodding, fragrant; peduncle arising from angle between petioles, 1.5-6 cm; sepals orbiculate, 10-18 × 10-18 mm; petals white, rarely pink, obovate, 15-35 × 10-25 mm; stamens 2 times number of petals, 8-13 mm; filaments 3-5 mm; anthers 5-8 × 1-1.5 mm; ovaries 6-12 × 4-8 mm; style 1-2 mm; stigmas 3-6 mm. Berries yellow, rarely orange or maroon, 3.5-5.5 × 2.0-4 cm. Seeds 30-50, ovoid, 6-8 × 4-6 mm. 2n = 12.


Phenology: Flowering spring, fruiting late spring–summer; summer deciduous.
Habitat: Mixed deciduous forest, fields, moist road banks, river banks
Elevation: 50-800 m

Distribution

V3 551-distribution-map.gif

Ont., Que., Ala., Ark., Conn., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Nebr., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Okla., Pa., R.I., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis.

Discussion

The following forms have been described:

Podophyllum peltatum forma aphyllum Plitt–fertile shoots with no foliage leaves; Podophyllum peltatum forma biltmoreanum Steyermark–fruits orange; Podophyllum peltatum forma deamii Raymond–fruits and seeds maroon, and flowers, placentae, and plant axes pink-tinged; Podophyllum peltatum forma polycarpum (Clute) Plitt–flowers with multiple, free carpels.

The ripe fruit of Podophyllum peltatum is considered edible; all other parts of the plant are toxic. Several lignans and their glycosides, present in the resin extracted from rhizomes and roots, exhibit antitumor activity. Etoposide, a semisynthetic derivative of one of the lignans, is currently used in the treatment of small-cell lung cancer and testicular cancer (P. M. Dewick 1983). Native Americans used Podophyllum for a wide variety of medicinal purposes and as an insecticide (D. E. Moerman 1986).

Podophyllum peltatum is sometimes cultivated in woodland gardens, and some populations on the periphery of its geographical range may be escapes from cultivation.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Podophyllum peltatum"
RDF feed
2n chromosome quantity
12 +
Anther dehiscence
dehiscing +
Anther length
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
Anther width
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
Aril coloration
maroon +  and yellow +
Aril texture
fleshy +
Author
Lisa O'Rourke George +
Authority
Linnaeus +
Berry coloration
maroon +, orange +  and yellow +
Berry length
3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br /> (5.5 cm55 mm <br />0.055 m <br />) +
Berry width
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
Blade-leaf distance
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (38 cm380 mm <br />0.38 m <br />) +
Blade architecture
peltate +
Blade length
18 cm180 mm <br />0.18 m <br /> (38 cm380 mm <br />0.38 m <br />) +
Blade shape
reniform-orbiculate +  and orbiculate +
Blade width
18 cm180 mm <br />0.18 m <br /> (38 cm380 mm <br />0.38 m <br />) +
Bracteole architecture
sepaloid +
Bracteole presence
absent +
Bracteole quantity
0;9 +
Cauline leaf arrangement
opposite +  and alternate +
Common name
May-apple +, Indian-apple +, wild-mandrake +, pomme de mai +  and podophylle pelté +
Distal blade length
6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br /> (25 cm250 mm <br />0.25 m <br />) +
Distal blade width
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (33 cm330 mm <br />0.33 m <br />) +
Distribution
Ont. +, Que. +, Ala. +, Ark. +, Conn. +, Del. +, D.C. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, Ky. +, La. +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, Nebr. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, Ohio +, Okla. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.C. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +, Vt. +, Va. +, W.Va. +  and Wis. +
Elevation
50-800 m +
Elongation increment atypical some measurement
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
Elongation increment duration
annual +
Elongation increment some measurement
6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br /> (20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br />) +
Embryo size
small +  and large +
Endosperm quantity
abundant +
Filament some measurement
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
Flower architecture
3-merous +
Flower architecture or arrangement or growth form
solitary +
Flower architecture or shape
symmetric +
Flower odor
fragrant +
Flower orientation
nodding +
Flower prominence
showy +  and inconspicuous +
Flower reproduction
bisexual +
Flower some measurement
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (?) +  and 5.5 cm55 mm <br />0.055 m <br /> (?) +
Fruits berry coloration
maroon +, red +, orange +  and yellow +
Fruits berry shape
ellipsoid +
Habitat
Mixed deciduous forest, fields, moist road banks, river banks +
Illustration
Present +
Illustration copyright
Flora of North America Association +
Illustrator
John Myers +
Increment duration
annual +
Increment fusion
distinct +
Inflorescence position
axillary +  and terminal +
Inflorescence position or structure subtype
terminal +
Leaf-blade shape
5-7(-9)-parted +
Leaf architecture
simple +
Leaf architecture or arrangement
fascicled +
Leaf arrangement
opposite +
Leaf shape
parted +
Leaf size
unequal +
Margin architecture
palmate +
Margin architecture or shape
dentate +  and entire +
Nectary presence
absent +
Nonflowering shoot quantity
1 +
Number of lower taxa
0 +
Ovary architecture
1-carpellate +
Ovary length
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
Ovary placentation
marginal +
Ovary position
basal +  and superior +
Ovary shape
ellipsoid +
Ovary width
4mm;8mm +
Part shape
not +  and lobed +
Peduncle orientation
arising +
Peduncle some measurement
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
Perianth architecture
3-merous +  and 2-merous +
Perianth presence
absent +
Petal architecture
hooded +
Petal coloration
pink +  and white +
Petal fusion
distinct +
Petal length
15mm;35mm +
Petal quantity
6;9 +
Petal shape
obovate +
Petal width
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
Petiole architecture or shape
stemlike +
Petiole fixation
attached +
Petiole orientation
erect +
Petiole some measurement
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
Phenology
Flowering spring, fruiting late spring–summer +  and summer deciduous. +
Pollen exine relief
Finely reticulate (Verrucate) +
Proximal blade length
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (35 cm350 mm <br />0.35 m <br />) +
Proximal blade width
14 cm140 mm <br />0.14 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
Publication title
Sp. Pl. +
Publication year
1753 +
Reference
None +
Rhizome size
short +  and elongate +
Seed architecture
arillate +
Seed coloration
maroon +, red +, orange +  and yellow +
Seed length
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
Seed life cycle
mature +
Seed prominence
elevated +
Seed quantity
30 +  and 50 +
Seed shape
ovoid +
Seed width
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (?) +
Sepal coloration
pale green +  and white +
Sepal duration
caducous +
Sepal fusion
distinct +
Sepal length
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br />) +
Sepal quantity
6 +
Sepal shape
orbiculate +
Sepal width
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br />) +
Shoot atypical quantity
2 (3) +
Shoot life cycle
flowering +
Shoot quantity
2 +
Shoot some measurement
3dm;6dm +
Slit dehiscence or orientation
longitudinal +
Source xml
https://bibilujan@bitbucket.org/aafc-mbb/fna-fine-grained-xml.git/src/84153f6d59a0a91d69695978a64cee7560374f8e/V3/V3 551.xml +
Special status
Endemic +  and Illustrated +
Stalk length
elongating +
Stamen quantity
6 +
Stamen size or quantity
2 times number of petals +
Stamen some measurement
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br />) +
Stamen variability
equal +
Stem location
aerial +
Stem presence
absent +
Stigma some measurement
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
Stipitate-gland presence
absent +
Stipule architecture
palmate +  and pinnate +
Stipule presence
absent +
Style duration
persistent +
Style position
central +
Style presence
absent +
Style some measurement
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
Surface pubescence
abaxially sparsely pubescent +  and glabrous +
Taxon family
Berberidaceae +
Taxon name
Podophyllum peltatum +
Taxon parent
Podophyllum +
Taxon rank
species +
Tooth architecture or shape
apiculate +
Volume
Volume 3 +
Whole-organism architecture or shape
not spurred +
Whole organism architecture
rhizomatous +
Whole organism duration
deciduous +  and perennial +
Whole organism growth form
herb +
Whole organism pubescence
glabrous +  and sparsely pubescent +
Whole organism some measurement
2dm (6dm) +
X chromosome quantity
6 +