''Podophyllum peltatum'' is a North American herbaceous

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

plant in the family

Berberidaceae The Berberidaceae are a family (biology), family of 18 genera of flowering plants commonly called the barberry family. This family is in the order (biology), order Ranunculales. The family contains about 700 known species, of which the majority ...

. Its

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often con ...

s are mayapple, American mandrake, wild mandrake, and ground lemon.

Description

Mayapples are woodland plants, typically growing in

colonies A colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule, which rules the territory and its indigenous peoples separated from the foreign rulers, the colonizer, and their '' metropole'' (or "mother country"). This separated rule was often or ...

derived from a single root. The stems grow to tall, with palmately lobed umbrella-like

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

up to diameter with 3–9 shallowly to deeply cut lobes. The plants produce several stems from a creeping underground

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome ( ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and Shoot (botany), shoots from its Node (botany), nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from ...

; some stems bear a single leaf and do not produce any

flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...

, while flowering stems produce a pair or more leaves with 1–8 flowers in the axil between the apical leaves. The flowers are white, yellow or red, diameter with 6–9 petals, and mature into a green, yellow or red fleshy fruit long.Flora of North America, Vol. 3, ''Podophyllum'' Linnaeus
/ref> Though the common name is mayapple, in some areas it is the flower that appears in early May, not the "apple". The fruit or "apple" is usually produced early in summer and ripens later in summer.

Distribution and habitat

It is widespread across most of the eastern United States and southeastern Canada.

Ecology

They are a larval host for the golden borer moth and the may apple borer. Many species of plants have

mycorrhizae A mycorrhiza (; , mycorrhiza, or mycorrhizas) is a symbiotic association between a fungus and a plant. The term mycorrhiza refers to the role of the fungus in the plant's rhizosphere, the plant root system and its surroundings. Mycorrhizae play ...

to assist with nutrient uptake in infertile conditions. Mayapple plants are considered obligately dependent upon such mycorrhizae, although it may also be facultatively dependent upon rhizome age and soil nutrient levels. Plants are commonly found infected by the

rust Rust is an iron oxide, a usually reddish-brown oxide formed by the reaction of iron and oxygen in the catalytic presence of water or air moisture. Rust consists of hydrous iron(III) oxides (Fe2O3·nH2O) and iron(III) oxide-hydroxide (FeO(OH) ...

Allodus podophylli ''Allodus podophylli'', the mayapple rust, is a plant pathogen. This fungal parasite forms tiny bright orange cups on the underside of leaves of mayapple. While the name ''Puccinia podophylli'' is often used, in 2012 the name ''Allodus podophyll ...

'', appearing as honeycomb-patterned orange colonies under the leaves, and yellowish lesions on the upper surface.Bunyard, Britt A. 2013 "Mayapple Rust Resurrection" ''FUNGI'' 6(1): 38–39.

Toxicity

All the parts of the plant are poisonous, including the unripe green fruit and perhaps the ripe fruit eaten in excess. The rhizome, foliage, and roots are all poisonous. Mayapple contains

podophyllotoxin Podophyllotoxin (PPT) is the active ingredient in Podofilox, a medical cream used to treat genital warts and molluscum contagiosum. It is not recommended for HPV infections without external warts. It can be applied either by a healthcare provi ...

podophyllin Podophyllum resin, also known as podophyllum or podophyllin, is a resin made from the roots of the American mandrake. It is used as a medication to treat genital warts and plantar warts, including in people with HIV/AIDS. It is not recommende ...

, which is highly toxic if consumed.

Uses

The ripened yellow fruit is edible in small amounts and is sometimes made into jelly. Mayapple has been used by Indigenous Americans as an

emetic Vomiting (also known as emesis, puking and throwing up) is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose. Vomiting can be the result of ailments like food poisoning, gastroenteritis, preg ...

cathartic In medicine, a cathartic is a substance that ''accelerates'' defecation. This is similar to a laxative, which is a substance that ''eases'' defecation, usually by softening feces. It is possible for a substance to be both a laxative and a cathar ...

, and

antihelmintic Anthelmintics or antihelminthics are a group of antiparasitic drugs that expel parasitic worms (helminths) and other internal parasites from the body by either stunning or killing them without causing significant damage to the host. They may also ...

agent. The rhizome of the mayapple has been used for a variety of medicinal purposes, originally by indigenous inhabitants and later by other

settlers A settler or a colonist is a person who establishes or joins a permanent presence that is separate to existing communities. The entity that a settler establishes is a Human settlement, settlement. A settler is called a pioneer if they are among ...

. Mayapple can be used

topical A topical medication is a medication that is applied to a particular place on or in the body. Most often topical medication means application to body surfaces such as the skin or mucous membranes to treat ailments via a large range of classes ...

ly as an

escharotic Eschar (; ; ; or ''an'' eschar) is a slough or piece of dead tissue that is cast off from the surface of the skin, particularly after a burn injury, but also seen in gangrene, ulcer, fungal infections, necrotizing spider bite wounds, tick bit ...

in removing warts, and two of its derivatives,

etoposide Etoposide, sold under the brand name Vepesid among others, is a chemotherapy medication used for the treatments of a number of types of cancer including testicular cancer, lung cancer, lymphoma, leukemia, neuroblastoma, and ovarian cancer. It is ...

and

teniposide Teniposide (trade name Vumon) is a chemotherapeutic medication used in the treatment of childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), Hodgkin's lymphoma, certain brain tumours, and other types of cancer. It is in a class of drugs known as podophyl ...

, have shown promise in treating some

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

s. Etoposide is among the World Health Organisations's list of essential medicines and it is derived from podophyllotoxin. Podophyllotoxin or podophyllin is used as a

purgative Laxatives, purgatives, or aperients are substances that loosen stools and increase bowel movements. They are used to treat and prevent constipation. Laxatives vary as to how they work and the side effects they may have. Certain stimulant, lubri ...

and as a

cytostatic Cytostasis (cyto – cell; stasis – stoppage) is the inhibition of cell growth and multiplication. Cytostatic refers to a cellular component or medicine that inhibits cell division and induce cell death. Cytostasis is an important prerequisite ...

. Posalfilin is a drug containing podophyllin and

salicylic acid Salicylic acid is an organic compound with the formula HOC6H4COOH. A colorless (or white), bitter-tasting solid, it is a precursor to and a active metabolite, metabolite of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin). It is a plant hormone, and has been lis ...

that is used to treat the

plantar wart A plantar wart is a wart occurring on the bottom of the foot or toes. Its color is typically similar to that of the skin. Small black dots often occur on the surface. One or more may occur in an area. They may result in pain with pressure suc ...

. They are also grown as

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or ''garden plants'' are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars th ...

s for their attractive foliage and flowers.

Gallery

PoisonousMayApple101.jpg, ''P. peltatum'' fruit Mayapple by IvanTortuga.jpg, ''P. peltatum'' fruit File:Mayapple Podophyllum peltatum Side 2.JPG, ''P. peltatum'' fruit File:Mayapple flower 1.jpg, ''P. peltatum'' flower File:Mayapple flower 2.jpg, ''P. peltatum'' flower

References

{{Authority control Berberidaceae Flora of Eastern Canada Flora of the Eastern United States Flora of the Appalachian Mountains Flora of the Great Lakes region (North America) Plants used in traditional Native American medicine Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus