#jeffersonia

Twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla) is an unusual spring ephemeral immediately recognizable by its divided leaf structure, composed of two symmetrical lobes with shallow to broadly-toothed margins. Its flowers, which superficially resemble those of bloodroot but with distinctive, pear-shaped ovaries, emerge in early April when the leaves are at about half of their mature height and drop their delicate white petals shortly after pollination.  In my experience, bloom time for this plant is less than a week, so if you snooze, you lose. Also known as Jeffersonia in honor of Thomas Jefferson, this lovely perennial is one of Appalachia’s most threatened wildflowers due to habitat loss and competition from invasive species, such as garlic mustard.  Fortunately, it seems to be holding its own along the Mon River Trail.

Both Golden Seal and Twin Leaf were at one point poached heavily for different reasons, one was of medicinal value and the other was for aesthetic and collection gardens. As a midwestern plant Twin Leaf prefers karst layers with rich mesic soils that don’t dry out but are never fully saturated to the point where field capacity is exceeded; for this reason it is seen in mature-old growth mesic woods along open streamside edges of less turbulent streams. Goldenseal is found in similar locations; though, it can handle dry soil for a bit. 

One of the most unique of Appalachia’s wildflowers, twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla), also referred to as Jeffersonia and rheumatism root, features long-stemmed, heavily veined and textured basal leaves that are deeply dissected into twin lobes, which give the plant its common name. This clump-forming perennial produces striking white flowers in early to mid April, but they only last a week or so; they bear a superficial resemblance to those of bloodroot. Although the flowers go fast, the plant continues to grow vigorously through the summer and makes an interesting foliage component for native wildflower gardens (although it can be somewhat finicky about where it grows). The photos above were taken along the Mon River Trail.

http://www.upress.virginia.edu/title/5039 "What did Thomas Jefferson look like? How did he carry himself? Such questions, reasonable to ask as we look back on a person who lived in an era before photography, are the starting point for this boldly original new work. Maurizio Valsania considers all aspects of Jefferson’s complex conception of "the body," from eighteenth-century clothing and fashion to manners, adornment, posture, gesture, and visual and material culture. Drawing also from the fields of medical science, psychology, and cultural anthropology, the author conjures a vivid and detailed re-creation of the third president as a living, breathing—and pondering—human being. Having situated Jefferson in his own body, Valsania looks at the embodied Jefferson in the world of his fellow humans. Any one of the other people in Jefferson’s society—whether that other person was male or female, free or enslaved, African American or Native American—was a critical counterexample for the eighteenth-century Virginian to define himself against, and Valsania’s explorations here lead to numerous insightful discoveries about race, gender, and structures of power. The first comprehensive exploration of Jefferson’s corporeal world, Jefferson’s Body brings the man vividly to life for the modern reader while deepening our understanding of what it meant to Jefferson to be alive."

Twinleaf is part of a small genus of plants, under the name jeffersonia, which is a member of the barberry family. Twinleaf is an uncommon spring wildflower which grows in limestone soils of rich deciduous forests. Jeffersonia was named for United States President Thomas Jefferson, by his contemporary Benjamin Smith Barton. This genus was formerly grouped in genus Podophyllum. Twinleaf is protected by state and provincial laws as a threatened or endangered plant in Georgia, Iowa, New York, and New Jersey. ************************************************************************* Twinleaf Article Found -Here- ************************************************************************* Help support the continued efforts of MIROFOSS to provide advertisement and bias free research by donating to mirofoss or buying some of our photos for your own personal use. All proceeds from photo sales will go towards the MIROFOSS Foundation.

plants for foliage_Jeffersonia diphylla *photo 24 may 2015

Jeffersonia diphylla is in the family Berberidaceae. Commonly called twinleaf, This plant contains an anti-tumor alkaloid called berberine, and has been used in Native American traditional medicine to cure a number of ailments from sores to diarrhea. Jeffersonia is myrmecochorous, meaning that the seeds of this plant are dispersed by ants! Follow for more plant facts and photos!

Jeffersonia dubia. The leaves on this twin leaf are especially red from cool night temperatures, it makes a wonderful contrast with the blue flowers.