Podophyllum peltatum

Native

Moist. Mixed deciduous forest, road banks, river banks. Partial sun.

May to June

White or pale green

12″ to 24″

This is a 12″ to 24″ tall, erect, perennial forb that rises on a single stem from a short or elongated rhizome. The rhizome elongates in distinct, 2⅓″ to 8″ long annual increments. It produces 1 leaf or flowering stalk per year. The plant is often found in large colonies. This is a spring ephemeral, with all above-ground parts disappearing by mid-summer.

The stems, when present, are erect, hairless or sparsely hairy, 12″ to 23½″ tall, and unbranched.

Leaves of non-flowering plants are solitary, basal, rising from the ground on a stout, erect, stem-like leaf stalk that attaches to the lower surface of the leaf at the center of the blade. The blade is 7″ to 15″ in diameter and more or less round.

Flowering plants have 2 alternate, nearly opposite leaves on 2″ to 6″ long leaf stalks rising from the top of the stem. The leaf stalks attach to the lower surface of the leaves near the margins. The blades are 2⅓″ to 14″ long, 4″ to 15¾″ wide, slightly unequal in size, and half round to kidney-shaped.

Both types of leaves are deeply divided into 5 to 7, sometimes 9, lobes. The lobes are frequently divided near the tip into 2 secondary lobes, though they may have no secondary lobes. The margins may be coarsely toothed or untoothed. The upper surface is hairless. The lower surface is hairless or sparsely hairy.

The inflorescence is a solitary flower at the end of the stem of flowering plants. It droops downward on a short, nodding, flower stalk that rises from the top of the stem at the angle between the two leaves.

The flowers are ⅔″ to 2⅓″ in diameter. There are 6 white or pale green sepals that drop off early, and 6 to 9 white, rarely pink (fo. deamii), inversely egg-shaped petals. The number of stamens is double the number of petals. The flowers are fragrant.

The fruit is a yellow, rarely orange or maroon, egg-shaped berry with 30 to 50 seeds.