American Mayapple
Encyclopedia
Podophyllum peltatum, commonly called mayapple (also known as mandrake root, american mandrake, raccoon berry, wild lemon, indian apple, duck's foot, hog apple, umbrella plant, ground lemon), is a herbaceous
perennial plant
in the family Berberidaceae
, native to wooded areas of eastern North America
.
The stems grow to 30-40 cm tall, with 2 or occasionally 3 palmately lobed leaves
up to 20-30 cm diameter with 5-9 deeply cut lobes on reproductive individuals, or one peltate (umbrella
-like) leaf on sterile individuals. The single secund
white flower
3-5 cm diameter, with six (rarely up to nine) petals, is produced at the axil of the two leaves (the upper two in a three-leaved plant); the flower matures into a yellow-greenish fruit
2-5 cm long. The plant is widespread and appears in clonal colonies in open mesic
woodlands. Individual shoots are often connected by systems of thick tubers and rhizomes. Plants are commonly found infected by the rust Puccinia podophylli,http://www.appalachianforest.org/ptw_mayapple.html appearing as honeycomb-patterned orange colonies under the leaves, and yellowish lesions on the upper surface.
Though the common name is mayapple, it is the flower that appears in early May, not the "apple". The fruit or "apple" is produced early summer and ripens later in summer. P. peltatum is also called hogapple, Indian apple, mayflower, umbrella plant (shape of the leaves), wild lemon (flavor of the fruit), wild mandrake, American mandrake (shape of rhizomes) or "devil's apple" (used for Solanum linnaeanum
elsewhere).
The rhizome of the mayapple has been used for a variety of medicinal purposes, originally by indigenous inhabitants
and later by other settlers.
, which is used as a cytostatic and topically in the treatment of viral and genital wart
s.
, rheumatism
and liver disorders. It is also used topically
for warts, and it has shown promise in treating leukemia
.
Herbaceous
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
perennial plant
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
in the family Berberidaceae
Berberidaceae
Berberidaceae are a family of 15 genera flowering plants commonly called the barberry family. This family is in the order Ranunculales. The family contains about 570 species, of which the majority are in Berberis...
, native to wooded areas of eastern North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
The stems grow to 30-40 cm tall, with 2 or occasionally 3 palmately lobed leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
up to 20-30 cm diameter with 5-9 deeply cut lobes on reproductive individuals, or one peltate (umbrella
Umbrella
An umbrella or parasol is a canopy designed to protect against rain or sunlight. The term parasol usually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun; umbrella refers to a device more suited to protect from rain...
-like) leaf on sterile individuals. The single secund
Secund
Secund can refer to:*a botanical term used of plants when similar parts are directed to one side only, as flowers on an axis. *to loan an employee from one organization to another...
white flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
3-5 cm diameter, with six (rarely up to nine) petals, is produced at the axil of the two leaves (the upper two in a three-leaved plant); the flower matures into a yellow-greenish fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
2-5 cm long. The plant is widespread and appears in clonal colonies in open mesic
Mesic habitat
In ecology, a mesic habitat is a type of habitat with a moderate or well-balanced supply of moisture, e.g., a mesic forest, a temperate hardwood forest, or dry-mesic prairie. Compared to a dry habitat, a mesic habitat is moister....
woodlands. Individual shoots are often connected by systems of thick tubers and rhizomes. Plants are commonly found infected by the rust Puccinia podophylli,http://www.appalachianforest.org/ptw_mayapple.html appearing as honeycomb-patterned orange colonies under the leaves, and yellowish lesions on the upper surface.
Though the common name is mayapple, it is the flower that appears in early May, not the "apple". The fruit or "apple" is produced early summer and ripens later in summer. P. peltatum is also called hogapple, Indian apple, mayflower, umbrella plant (shape of the leaves), wild lemon (flavor of the fruit), wild mandrake, American mandrake (shape of rhizomes) or "devil's apple" (used for Solanum linnaeanum
Solanum linnaeanum
Solanum linnaeanum is a nightshade species known as Devil's Apple and in some places where it is introduced as "Apple of Sodom"...
elsewhere).
The rhizome of the mayapple has been used for a variety of medicinal purposes, originally by indigenous inhabitants
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
and later by other settlers.
Toxicity
The ripened fruit is edible in moderate amounts, though when consumed in large amounts the fruit is poisonous. The rhizome, foliage and roots are also poisonous. Mayapple contains podophyllotoxinPodophyllotoxin
Podophyllotoxin , otherwise known as podofilox, is a non-alkaloid toxin lignan extracted from the roots and rhizomes of Podophyllum species. Under the trade name Condylox, a topical gel, it is used on the skin to treat external genital warts, caused by some types of the human papillomavirus...
, which is used as a cytostatic and topically in the treatment of viral and genital wart
Genital wart
Genital warts is a highly contagious sexually transmitted disease caused by some sub-types of human papillomavirus . It is spread through direct skin-to-skin contact during oral, genital, or anal sex with an infected partner...
s.
Medicinal use
It has been used by American Indians to treat constipationConstipation
Constipation refers to bowel movements that are infrequent or hard to pass. Constipation is a common cause of painful defecation...
, rheumatism
Rheumatism
Rheumatism or rheumatic disorder is a non-specific term for medical problems affecting the joints and connective tissue. The study of, and therapeutic interventions in, such disorders is called rheumatology.-Terminology:...
and liver disorders. It is also used topically
Topical
In medicine, a topical medication is applied to body surfaces such as the skin or mucous membranes such as the vagina, anus, throat, eyes and ears.Many topical medications are epicutaneous, meaning that they are applied directly to the skin...
for warts, and it has shown promise in treating leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
.