Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Ranunculales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA (11/30/12):
Jeffersonia diphylla
FAMILY
Berberidaceae
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Learn more about Twinleaf from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Jeffersonia diphylla
FAMILY
Berberidaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 077-04-001:
Jeffersonia diphylla
FAMILY
Berberidaceae
COMMON NAME:
Twinleaf
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_jedi_001_lvd
)
Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_j_diphylla_twinl
March Walker County GA
Solitary flowers on leafless stems last only a day or so in March or April, per Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee.
)
JK Marlow jkm090404_177
April Walker County GA
Pigeon Mountain
)
JK Marlow jkm090404_185
April Walker County GA
Pigeon Mountain
)
JK Marlow jkm090404_189
April Walker County GA
Pigeon Mountain
)
Tim Spira tpsjdiphylla
April
Leaves basal, on stalks 6" tall (taller after flowering), per Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians.
)
Tim Spira tpsjdiphylla2
April
)
Zen Sutherland zen27197846_f5320fdfc6
July Buncombe County NC
Botanical Gardens at Asheville
Somewhat suggestive of Sanguinaria in both foliage and flower, per Weakley's Flora.
)
Zen Sutherland zen27197847_ac7d258e32
July Buncombe County NC
Botanical Gardens at Asheville
)
JK Marlow jkm150827_922
August Haywood County NC
Corneille Bryan Native Garden
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmjdiphylla_cherokfm2
Month Unknown Knox County TN
Fruit erect, the upper part making a lid hinged at the back, per Wildflowers of the Eastern United States.
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmjdiphylla_cherokfm3
Month Unknown Knox County TN
The two leaf blades are entire or toothed, per Wildflowers of the Eastern United States.
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmjdiphylla_cherokfm9
Month Unknown Knox County TN
Each leaf deeply cleft into 2 leaflets, not unlike bird or butterfly wings, per Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee.
WEAKLEY'S FLORA (11/30/12):
Jeffersonia diphylla
FAMILY
Berberidaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Jeffersonia diphylla
FAMILY
Berberidaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 077-04-001:
Jeffersonia diphylla
FAMILY
Berberidaceae
770
Forb
Perennial
Native to North Carolina & Georgia
Documented growing wild in GA NC -
Rare in GA & NC
Look for it in moist & extremely nutrient-rich forests, generally over calcareous or mafic rocks (including limestone, dolostone, amphibolite, greenstone, etc) or very rich alluvium, per Weakley's Flora
Click here to see a more detailed map from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Herbarium,
or click here to see a map from SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
...Moist
LEAVES:
Compound: 2 leaflets
Basal
FLOWER:
Spring
White
Bisexual
Radially symmetrical
4 petaloid sepals
8 petals
8 stamens
Superior ovary
FRUIT:
Spring
Follicle
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee p143
- Newcomb's Wildflower Guide p364
- Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast p176
- Wildflowers of the Eastern United States p016
- Wild Flowers of NC, 2nd edition p080
- Wildflowers of Tennessee p045
- Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians p067
- Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains p052