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Jeffersonia diphylla (L.) Pers.

Twinleaf (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Ranunculales > Berberidaceae > Jeffersonia

Characteristics

Leaves: petiole slender, erect, 9-25 cm at anthesis, maturing to 18-43 cm. Leaf blade 2-foliolate, often with minute apiculation between leaflets; leaflets 1.2-4 × 0.6-2.5 cm at anthesis, maturing to 6-13 × 3-7 cm, lobes rounded to acute. Scapes 9-33 cm, frequently taller than petioles at anthesis. Flowers: sepals elliptic to obovate, 7-15 × 4-6 mm; petals white, elliptic to obovate, 11-22 × 9-12 mm; stamens 6-12 mm; filaments 2-3 mm; anthers 4-9 × 1-1.5 mm; ovaries 6-11 × 3-7 mm. Fruits 18-38 × 8-17 mm, leathery, opening transversely, apical quarter resembling lid, becoming reflexed. Seeds oblong, 4-7 × 2 mm; aril laciniate, attached at adaxial side of hilum. 2 n = 12.
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Scape 1–2 dm at anthesis; petioles at first shorter than the scapes, later elongating to 2–5 dm; blades immature at anthesis, eventually 8–15 cm; fls white, 1–3 cm wide; fr 2–3 cm; 2n=12. Rich woods, preferring calcareous soil; w. N.Y. and s. Ont. to se. Minn., s. to Md. and Ala. Apr., May.
A herb. It grows 20-30 cm tall.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 0.15 - 0.35
Mature height (meter) 0.2 - 0.25
Root system fibrous-root
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

Very rare in the wild, it is found in limestone soils and rich woods near rivers.
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It is a temperate plant. It suits hardiness zones 5-7.
Light 1-6
Soil humidity 4-7
Soil texture 2-5
Soil acidity 3-8
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 5-7

Usage

Uses medicinal
Edible -
Therapeutic use Dermatological Aid (unspecified), Kidney Aid (unspecified), Urinary Aid (unspecified), Antidiarrheal (unspecified), Liver Aid (unspecified), Pediatric Aid (unspecified), Aromatic (unspecified), Cancer (unspecified), Emetic (unspecified), Expectorant (unspecified), Gargle (unspecified), Sore(Throat) (unspecified), Spasm (unspecified), Tonic (unspecified), Medicine (unspecified), Rheumatism (unspecified), Stimulant (unspecified)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by seedlings.
Mode seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -29
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Leaf

Jeffersonia diphylla leaf picture by jimseng jimseng (cc-by-sa)
Jeffersonia diphylla leaf picture by Heffner Laura (cc-by-sa)
Jeffersonia diphylla leaf picture by Bethany Nowviskie (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Jeffersonia diphylla flower picture by Heffner Laura (cc-by-sa)
Jeffersonia diphylla flower picture by Bethany Nowviskie (cc-by-sa)
Jeffersonia diphylla flower picture by Nicole Clark (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Jeffersonia diphylla fruit picture by jimseng jimseng (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Jeffersonia diphylla world distribution map, present in Canada and United States of America

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:1187336-2
WFO ID wfo-0001146495
COL ID 3QNWJ
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Jeffersonia lobata Jeffersonia bartonis Jeffersonia binata Jeffersonia odorata Jeffersonia diphylla f. diphylla Jeffersonia diphylla Podophyllum diphyllum Vindicta begonifolia
WorldFloraDB 2024