Mayapple

Mayapple

Podophyllum peltatum

Mayapples are cool little plants that look like palm trees.  Kids like to take toy soldiers and play army underneath them.

Presumably, box turtles love to eat the fruits and their digestive tracts are responsible for removing the covering of the seed so that they can germinate.  I say 'presumably', because I've never seen a box turtle eat a fruit and I've never seen a picture of one doing so, nor have talked to anyone who has seen this happen.

If anyone has any first hand experience with box turtles and Mayapples, please comment on this post.




Yum Yum

The fruits ripen about the time that the leaves wither

The showy flowers point downwards and are underneath the leaves

A Mayapple waiting to unfurl