Fauna
Plant

Mayapple

Podophyllum peltatum

Also known as American Mandrake, Wild Mandrake

Mayapple is a clonal woodland herb with umbrella-like lobed leaves rising from a creeping rhizome. Flowering shoots bear two leaves with a single white blossom tucked beneath them.

woodland herbclonal colonyumbrella leaf
Mayapple reference1 / 7
no rights reserved, uploaded by mefisher · cc0
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyProduces energy through photosynthesis and stores resources in a spreading underground rhizome
Predators
  • deer
  • slugs
  • insect herbivores
ThreatsForest loss, trampling, deer browsing, invasive plants, and intensive wild collection
HabitatsRich deciduous woods, shaded slopes, floodplains, and moist forest edges
Life spanA long-lived perennial whose connected colonies can persist for many years
Classification
  1. FamilyBerberidaceae
  2. SpeciesPodophyllum peltatum
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskHigh
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is high
Most plant tissues contain toxic compounds and should not be swallowed.
Why it is dangerous
Mayapple tissues contain podophyllotoxin-related compounds that can cause serious poisoning when ingested.
How to recognize a risky encounter
Confirm deeply lobed umbrella-shaped leaves arising in colonies from a shared creeping rhizome.
What to do
Do not taste or prepare any wild material, and wash hands after necessary contact with damaged tissues.
Responsible observation
  • Identify: Look beneath paired umbrella-like leaves for a single white flower.
  • Observe: Stay beside the colony rather than stepping among connected shoots.
Related species

Related species have not been added yet.

Help improve the field guideSomething wrong?

Report a name, category, or profile issue for review.

Checking your Fauna account…