Putnam Park Wildflowers


Flower ID: IMG_0336.JPG-05-12-2017
Flower name (scientific): Mitella diphylla Linnaeus PY: 1753. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) my-TEL-uh dy-FIL-uh
Flower name (common): Bishop's Cap
Family name (common): Saxifrage
Family name (scientific): Saxifragaceae
Scientific name origin:
     Genus: Mitella means female headdress or sling in classical Latin. From the Greek mitra, headband, or a kind of turban, usually worn by women. The botantial sense derives from a little mitre, because the fruit supoosedly resembles a bishop's mitre (cap).
    Specific epithet: From the Greek dis for two, and phyllon for a leaf. Hence, two-leaved.
Common name origin: Refering to the appearance of the dehiscing fruits, which resemble a bishop's cap (mitre), the same reference employed for the genus name.
Flower description:
     Size: 0.1 to 0.3 inches (0.3 to 0.8 cm)
     Petal count: 5
     Color: White
     Other: flower arrangement, Raceme
Plant description: Erect
     Size: 4 to 16 inches (10 to 41 cm)
     Stem hairy:
     Other:
Leaf description: attachment is basal and opposite, type is simple and lobed
     Size: Lower leaves up to approximately 9 cm long and 10 cm wide. Mid cauline to dstal leaves up to 8 cm long and 6 cm wide.
     Color:
     Hairy:
     Other: Shape: leaf, ovate to broadly ovate (FNA)
Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Native
Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Common
Bloom time (typical): May to June
Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Perennial
Habitat: Woods, forests, rocky bluffs, shade or part shade or sun, moist to dry.
Fruit:
Seed:
Importance to wildlife: Click for pollinator information on this flower.
Similar species (if any): No close lookalikes.
Ethnobotany: The Menominee swallowed the seeds of this plant during the medicine dance (Smith, p. 81, 1923).
Latitude: 44.794413
Longitude: -91.489348
Altitude: 240.10
Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Burnett, Calumet, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Florence, Fond du Lac, Forest, Grant, Green, Iowa, Iron, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kewaunee, La Crosse, Lafayette, Langlade, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marinette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Price, Racine, Richland, Rock, Rusk, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Walworth, Washburn, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, Wood) Click here for distribution map
In US: (AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV)
In Canada: (ON, QC)
References:
Synonym(s):
Basionym: na
Homotypic Synonym(s):
Heterotypic Synonym(s):
Autonym: na