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Of the barberry family (Berberidaceae), the may apple or Podophyllum peltatum.

May Apple

Of the barberry family (Berberidaceae), the may apple or Podophyllum peltatum.

An illustration of a Mayapple plant. "a, the flower-bud with the bractlets; b, a stamen; c, the pistil; d, the fruit; e, the fruit cut longitudinally." -Century, 1889 Podophyllum peltatum (the mayapple) is a herbaceous perennial plant in the family Berberidaceae, native to the eastern part of North America. The stems grow to 30-40 cm tall, with palmately lobed leaves up to 20-30 cm diameter with 5-9 deeply cut lobes. The plant produces two growth forms. The ones with a single umbrella-like leaf do not produce any flower or fruit. The plants having a twin leaf (rarely three-leaf) structure, however, bear a single white flower 3-5 cm diameter with six (rarely up to nine) petals, between the two leaves; this matures into a yellow-greenish fruit 2-5 cm long. The plant appears in colonies in open woodlands. Individual shoots are often connected by systems of thick tubers and rhizomes.

Mayapple

An illustration of a Mayapple plant. "a, the flower-bud with the bractlets; b, a stamen; c, the pistil;…