North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Diphylleia cymosa

Diphylleia cymosa Michx.

american umbrellaleaf, pixie-parasol, umbrella-leaf

Diphylleia cymosa (American Umbrellaleaf)

Image ID: 19334
Image by: Stuart, Will
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: DICY2
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Diphylleia cymosa
Include in WOTAS: 1
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2018-02-06

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: DIPHY2
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Diphylleia
GENUS AUTHORITY: Michx.
GENUS COMMON: Umbrellaleaf
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of 3 species, herbs, with a relictual north temperate distribution. The other two species in the genus are east Asian – D. grayi F. Schmidt of Japan and Sakhalin, and D. sinensis H.L. Li of the Hubei, Shaanxi, Gansu, Sichuan, and Yunnan provinces of China.
GENUS IDENTIFICATION:
GENUS REFERENCES: George in FNA (1997); Ying, Terabayashi, & Boufford (1984)=Z; Stearn (2002)=Y; Loconte in Kubitzki, Rohwer, & Bittrich (1993).

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: BERBER
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Berberidaceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: A.L. de Jussieu 1789
FAMILY COMMON: Barberry Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: As broadly defined here, a family of about 15 genera and 650 species, herbs and shrubs, of the temperate Northern Hemisphere and Andean South America. There has been much debate and study of whether the Berberidaceae should be recognized as a broadly defined unit, or split into a variety of segregate families (such as Podophyllaceae, Epimediaceae, Nandinaceae, Leonticaceae). Based on molecular studies, Kim & Jansen (1996, 1998) and Kim et al. (2004) conclude that division of the Berberidaceae into segregate families is not warranted.
FAMILY REFERENCE: Whetstone, Atkinson, & Spaulding in FNA (1997); Wang et al. (2009); Stearn (2002); Kim & Jansen (1996, 1998); Ahrendt (1961); Loconte & Estes (1989b); Kim et al. (2004); Meacham (1980); Loconte in Kubitzki, Rohwer, & Bittrich (1993).

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO: Erect, colony-forming southern Appalachian endemic found in seepages and brook-banks in northern hardwood or cove hardwood forests, at moderate to high elevations
STEMS: Stem single, unbranched; may start out hairy but becomes smooth.
LEAVES: Leaves 2 per plant; to 20 in. long (and wide); divided into 2 lobed and toothed, kidney-shaped segments; the petiole is connected to the blade off-center.
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS: Flowers in a 4-in.-wide terminal cluster borne on a stalk that rises from the leaf fork above the leaves; white; about 1 in. wide; consisting of 6 spreading petals and 6 prominent stamens surrounding a green ovary and single style.
FRUITS: Fruit a dark-blue berry on a reddish stalk.
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT: 1-3 ft.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Herb

LEAF ARRANGEMENT: Alternate
LEAF COMPLEXITY: Simple
LEAF RETENTION: Deciduous

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY: Radial (Actinomorphic)
BLOOM TIME: May-Jun

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
			x	x	x	x

BLOOM COLOR: White

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
x

FRUITING PERIOD: Jul-Aug.

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE: Moist forests
NATIVE RANGE:

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text:

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Average, Moist/Wet
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Part Shade, Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE:
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE:
GERMINATION CODE:
WILDLIFE VALUE:
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM COLLECTIONS

Coll_id	Project	Collection date	Collector	Action
1023	HORT	2005-08-03	Lewandowski	View
1034	HORT	2005-08-02	Lewandowski	View
1568	HORT	2002-09-21	Liloia	View

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
2277	1986-2104			View
3102	1989-0059			View
3419	1991-0050			View
8017	2004-0025	2004-05-21		View
8429	2005-0503	2005-12-20		View
9104	2005-0124	2005-04-28	1568	View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
3948	2277	81	NCBG staff	1986-01-01	View
5156	3102	76	NCBG staff	1987-06-27	View
5662	3419	11	NCBG staff	1990-09-13	View
11265	8017	119	NCBG staff	2003-04-14	View
11633	9104	189	Liloia	2005-04-22	View
11663	8429	67	Liloia	1967-12-31	View
12214	8249	71	Liloia	2008-05-11	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: DICY2
USDA Common Name: American Umbrellaleaf
Native Status: L48 (N)
Distribution: USA (AL, GA, NC, SC, TN, VA)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Forb/herb

NATIONAL WETLAND INDICATOR STATUS

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:					FACU

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016 National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.3 (Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1-17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X). Regions: AGCP-Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, AK-Alaska, AW-Arid West, CB-Caribbean, EMP-Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, GP-Great Plains, HI-Hawaii, MW-Midwest, NCNE-Northcentral and Northeast, WMCV-Western Mountains, Valleys & Coast

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Diphylleia cymosa
COMMON NAME: Umbrella-leaf, Pixie-parasol
SYNONYMY: [= C, F, FNA, G, K, RAB, S, Va, W, Y, Z]
PHENOLOGY: May-Jun; Jul-Aug.
HABITAT: Seepages and brook-banks, sometimes away from brooks or seeps in northern hardwood or cove hardwood forests (but then usually in subterranean seepage), primarily at moderate to high elevations.
COMMENTS: A narrow Southern Appalachian endemic: high mountains of w. NC and e. TN, extending a short distance into ne. GA, nw. SC, and sw. VA.
RANGE MAP: Diphylleia cymosa.png

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Berberidaceae A.L. de Jussieu 1789 (Barberry Family)
SUMMARY: As broadly defined here, a family of about 15 genera and 650 species, herbs and shrubs, of the temperate Northern Hemisphere and Andean South America. There has been much debate and study of whether the Berberidaceae should be recognized as a broadly defined unit, or split into a variety of segregate families (such as Podophyllaceae, Epimediaceae, Nandinaceae, Leonticaceae). Based on molecular studies, Kim & Jansen (1996, 1998) and Kim et al. (2004) conclude that division of the Berberidaceae into segregate families is not warranted.
REFERENCE: Whetstone, Atkinson, & Spaulding in FNA (1997); Wang et al. (2009); Stearn (2002); Kim & Jansen (1996, 1998); Ahrendt (1961); Loconte & Estes (1989b); Kim et al. (2004); Meacham (1980); Loconte in Kubitzki, Rohwer, & Bittrich (1993).

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Diphylleia Michx. (Umbrellaleaf)
SUMMARY: A genus of 3 species, herbs, with a relictual north temperate distribution. The other two species in the genus are east Asian – D. grayi F. Schmidt of Japan and Sakhalin, and D. sinensis H.L. Li of the Hubei, Shaanxi, Gansu, Sichuan, and Yunnan provinces of China.
REFERENCE: George in FNA (1997); Ying, Terabayashi, & Boufford (1984)=Z; Stearn (2002)=Y; Loconte in Kubitzki, Rohwer, & Bittrich (1993).

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Diphylleia cymosa in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Diphylleia cymosa in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Diphylleia cymosa in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Diphylleia cymosa in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Diphylleia cymosa in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Diphylleia cymosa

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 19334 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 8992 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 0 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 8989 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)