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Maianthemum bifolium (L.) F.W.Schmidt

May lily (en), Maianthème à deux feuilles (fr), Petit Muguet à deux fleuilles (fr), Maïanthème à deux feuilles (fr), Petit muguet à deux fleurs (fr), Petit muguet (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Asparagales > Asparagaceae > Maianthemum

Characteristics

Plants 8--20(--25) cm tall. Rhizome sometimes forked, to 20 cm × 1--2 mm. Stem sometimes scattered papillose-pubescent. Basal leaf withered at anthesis; petiole to 10 cm. Cauline leaves usually 2, borne distally to apically on stem; petiole 1--2 cm, often papillose-pubescent; leaf blade deltoid-ovate, 3--8(--10) × 1--5(--9) cm, abaxial veins puberulent, base cordate, margin minutely denticulate-papillose or puberulent. Raceme erect, 3--5 cm, 10--25-flowered; rachis papillose-pubescent; bracts minute. Flowers solitary or paired; pedicel ca. 5 mm, slender, articulate apically. Perianth white; segments oblong, 2--2.5 × 1.5--1.8 mm. Stamens 1.6--2.1 mm. Style ca. 1 mm. Berries red at maturity, 3--6 mm in diam. Seeds with yellow testa. Fl. May--Jul, fr. Aug--Sep. 2 n = 28, 30, 36, 42, 54, 88.
More
A herb. It grows 8-20 cm tall. The rhizome is 20 cm long by 1-2 mm wide and can be forked. The stems can have scattered hairs. There are usually 2 leaves on the stem. The leaves are 3-8 cm long by 1-5 cm wide. The veins areahiry underneath the leaf. The base is heart shaped and there are small teeth along the edge. The flowers occur singly or in pairs. They are white. The fruit is a red berry 3-6 mm across.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination
Spread endozoochory
Mature width (meter) 0.5 - 1.0
Mature height (meter) 0.1 - 0.2
Root system rhizome
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color
Fruiting months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

It is a temperate plant. It grows in moist places and on hillsides along streams between 500-2,700 m above sea level in north China.
Light 1-6
Soil humidity -
Soil texture -
Soil acidity 2-6
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 6-9

Usage

The fruit are used to make wine. They are also eaten as a snack.
Uses medicinal
Edible fruits
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity toxic (leaf), toxic (whole), toxic (fruit)
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by divisions or seedlings.
Mode divisions seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) 17 - 21
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Habit

Maianthemum bifolium habit picture by Cédric Jankowiak (cc-by-sa)
Maianthemum bifolium habit picture by Kate Senatskaya (cc-by-sa)
Maianthemum bifolium habit picture by Dieter Albrecht (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Maianthemum bifolium leaf picture by Hüseyin Tuncay (cc-by-sa)
Maianthemum bifolium leaf picture by Kerstin Kerstin (cc-by-sa)
Maianthemum bifolium leaf picture by jan vanmol (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Maianthemum bifolium flower picture by Torsten M (cc-by-sa)
Maianthemum bifolium flower picture by tina thurgau (cc-by-sa)
Maianthemum bifolium flower picture by Cuparius Marcvs (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Maianthemum bifolium fruit picture by Maxime Dépinoy (cc-by-sa)
Maianthemum bifolium fruit picture by skrendam (cc-by-sa)
Maianthemum bifolium fruit picture by Brigitte Huber-Jordi (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Maianthemum bifolium world distribution map, present in Austria, Belarus, Switzerland, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Korea (Democratic People's Republic of), Romania, Russian Federation, Sweden, and Ukraine

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30042358-2
WFO ID wfo-0000691280
COL ID 72TBG
BDTFX ID 40679
INPN ID 107158
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Maianthemum smilacinum Styrandra petiolaris Sciophila convallarioides Convallaria bifolia Convallaria monophylla Convallaria pulchella Convallaria quadrifida Maianthemum nipponicum Maianthemum bifolium Maianthemum convallaria Maianthemum cordifolium Smilacina cordifolia Unifolium bifolium Valentinia bifolia Convallaria cordifolia Convallaria tetrapetala Unifolium bifolium f. monophyllum Smilacina bifolia Maia bifolia Monophyllon lobelii Styrandra bifolia Unifolium quadrifidum Smilacina bifolia Bifolium cordatum Unifolium bifolium var. canadense Unifolium bifolium subvar. hirtellum
WorldFloraDB 2024