Appalachian Trail near Damascus, VA
(with Red Maple seedlings)
Shenandoah National Park (Northern District), VA
(specimen showing unusual 5-part flower)
Shenandoah National Park (Northern District), VA
(specimen showing unusual 6-part flower)
[ click on any image below to see larger version ]
Family: Rubiaceae
Mid-Atlantic bloom time: May - June
Partridge-berry has sweet smelling flowers that usually have 4 parts, although I have found specimens with 5- and 6-part flowers intermingled with the usual 4-part flowers. Interestingly, the berries are actually the result of two paired flowers that fuse into one 2-part red berry. In one of these flowers, the pistil is short and the stamens are long; in the other, the pistil is long and the stamens are short. As a product of the fusion of these two flowers, the resulting berry has two spots on its surface.
The species name repens refers to the plant's trailing or creeping habit.
The red berries are purportedly edible but bland.
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10 September 2013
Appalachian Trail near Damascus, VA (with Red Maple seedlings)
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8 June 2014
Shenandoah National Park (Northern District), VA (specimen showing unusual 5-part flower)
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8 June 2014
Shenandoah National Park (Northern District), VA (specimen showing unusual 6-part flower)
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