Mayapple

Podophyllum peltatum (Berberidaceae) is an herbaceous perennial native to eastern North America from Quebec to Florida and west to Texas and Minnesota. It grows about 18 inches tall from a creeping rhizome, producing large, umbrella-like, deeply lobed leaves on single stems. A solitary white, waxy flower (about 2 inches) appears in the fork between two leaves in spring, followed by a yellowish, egg-shaped fruit.

Mayapple forms dense colonies in part shade to full shade in rich, moist woodland soils. The ripe fruit is edible (with a tropical flavor), but all other parts of the plant are toxic, including the roots, leaves, and unripe fruit. The compound podophyllotoxin, extracted from the rhizomes, is the basis for several anti-cancer drugs. The species goes dormant by midsummer.