Berry Partridgeberry
This creeping native wildflower with evergreen leaves has an odd way of producing berries. The flowers at the end of the stems are twinned yet only form a single berry.
Partridgeberry – Mitchella repens
I knew that intellectually but it didn’t really sink in. Reading is one thing but seeing the ‘process’ another. Let’s start at the beginning with the flower buds. Cute as a button, aren’t they?
Partridgeberry flower buds
Moving on to the flowers you can easily see they’re coming from a common base. look close – that base is source of the berry.
Partridgeberry twinned flowers
That was the part I didn’t fully understand until I finally saw the next photo and all the pieces clicked together.
Partridgeberry – maturing green berry
The indentations at the tip of the berry are where the flowers had been attached. DOH!
This is one of the ‘mysteries’ I mentioned that was cleared up during my visit to the Stillwater Club on the Middle Branch of the Grasse River. The other had to do with ghost plants and I think I finally know what I found last year. I should get right on that before I get distracted again.
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August 5th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
I wonder if both flowers have to be fertilized, or if the berry will mature if only one is?
August 5th, 2010 at 3:30 pm
Is this the only plant in the world to do this? Or does it run in the family? Will have to observe any plant I meet in future with twin flowers, and berries???
August 5th, 2010 at 5:01 pm
I know the plant and berries, but never knew this pollination deal. The berries were using to help with cramps during pregnancy by American Indians.
August 5th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Stopping by to say hi(-:
Your pictures are all so beautiful and should be in a magazine(-:
August 6th, 2010 at 10:59 am
The flowers are twin, but produce only one berry. 1+1=1.
August 6th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
Very interesting !
August 6th, 2010 at 6:12 pm
Wow, that’s really fascinating. Nature, ya can’t beat it!
August 7th, 2010 at 10:43 am
I have never heard of it. Is it indigenous to where you are? (and where is that?) When I first saw your photo, I thought of wintergreen, which we used to find in the leaf litter in the woods where I grew up. (Pa.)
August 13th, 2010 at 2:26 pm
Thanks for this interesting tidbit. Partridgeberry has always been one of my favorites – that little flame of scarlet often blazing up out of a patch of greens.
November 9th, 2010 at 8:48 am
It has a cousin lived in Japan, Chinese Tai Wan and China ,which named Mitchella undulata Sieb. et Zucc. Both of them are nested in the Mitchelleae(Rubiaceae).and them formed a very interesting phemnomenon —the East Asia and North America disjuntion .