Podophyllum peltatum

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 1: 505. 1753.

Common names: May-apple Indian-apple wild-mandrake pomme de mai podophylle pelté
EndemicIllustrated
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.
Revision as of 07:35, 30 July 2020 by imported>Volume Importer
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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"
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
maroon +  and yellow +
Lisa O'Rourke George +
Linnaeus +
maroon +, orange +  and yellow +
3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br /> (5.5 cm55 mm <br />0.055 m <br />) +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (38 cm380 mm <br />0.38 m <br />) +
18 cm180 mm <br />0.18 m <br /> (38 cm380 mm <br />0.38 m <br />) +
reniform-orbiculate +  and orbiculate +
18 cm180 mm <br />0.18 m <br /> (38 cm380 mm <br />0.38 m <br />) +
opposite +  and alternate +
May-apple +, Indian-apple +, wild-mandrake +, pomme de mai +  and podophylle pelté +
6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br /> (25 cm250 mm <br />0.25 m <br />) +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (33 cm330 mm <br />0.33 m <br />) +
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. +
50-800 m +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br /> (20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br />) +
small +  and large +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
fragrant +
showy +  and inconspicuous +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (?) +  and 5.5 cm55 mm <br />0.055 m <br /> (?) +
maroon +, red +, orange +  and yellow +
Mixed deciduous forest, fields, moist road banks, river banks +
axillary +  and terminal +
5-7(-9)-parted +
unequal +
dentate +  and entire +
1-carpellate +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
basal +  and superior +
ellipsoid +
4mm;8mm +
not +  and lobed +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
3-merous +  and 2-merous +
pink +  and white +
distinct +
15mm;35mm +
obovate +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
Flowering spring, fruiting late spring–summer +  and summer deciduous. +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (35 cm350 mm <br />0.35 m <br />) +
14 cm140 mm <br />0.14 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
short +  and elongate +
maroon +, red +, orange +  and yellow +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
30 +  and 50 +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (?) +
pale green +  and white +
distinct +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br />) +
orbiculate +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br />) +
Endemic +  and Illustrated +
elongating +
2 times number of petals +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
palmate +  and pinnate +
persistent +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
abaxially sparsely pubescent +  and glabrous +
Podophyllum peltatum +
Podophyllum +
species +
deciduous +  and perennial +
glabrous +  and sparsely pubescent +