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Mitchella repens
Partridgeberry
Twinberry
Florida native
This evergreen perennial can be found in hammocks and moist upland wood forests throughout most of the panhandle and much of the north and central peninsula. The range extends west into Texas and Oklahoma and though the eastern portion of North America as far north as Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland.
This woody herb grows prostrate and appears vine-like. The leaves are opposite, ovoid and glabrous. The usually four-lobed flowers are white, sometimes tinged with pink and hairy inside. Flowers appear in pairs and have a fused ovary, producing a berry with two dimples.
The genus was named by Linnaeus in honor of American physician and botanist John Mitchell(1711-1768), who contributed to an eventual treatment for yellow fever and also mapped eastern North America. The species name refers to the decumbent, or reclining growth form.
Mitchella repens is a member of the Rubiaceae - Madder family.
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants (Institute for Systemic Botany) profile for this species
USDA Plant Profile for this species
Date record last modified: Jun 18, 2021
