Mitchella repens

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}} {{Speciesbox | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name=iucn>{{Cite iucn |title=''Mitchella repens'' |author=Miller, A., Gerrity, J., Siekkinen, K., Reinier, J. E., Piatt, L., Mikanik, A., Leopold, S., Duncan, H., Filyaw, T., Kirchner, W., Metzman, H., Preston, J. & Williams, M. |name-list-style=amp |article-number=e.T116997920A135522093 |date=2024|access-date=21 November 2024}}</ref> |name = Partridge berry |image = Mitchella repens Partridge berry Norfolk Connecticut 05112019.jpg |image_caption = Leaves and berry |image2 = Mitchella repens - Partridge Berry.jpg |image2_caption = Flowers and berry |genus = Mitchella |species = repens |authority = L. }}

'''''Mitchella repens''''' (commonly '''partridge berry''' or '''squaw vine''') is the best known plant in the genus ''Mitchella''. It is a creeping prostrate herbaceous woody shrub occurring in North America belonging to the madder family (Rubiaceae).

==Names== ''Mitchella repens'' is one of the many species first described by Carl Linnaeus. Its species name is the Latin adjective ''repens'', which means "creeping". Common names for ''Mitchella repens'' include '''partridge berry''',<ref>{{cite book|isbn=978-0-395-91172-3|author=Peterson, Roger Tory, and McKenny, Margaret|title=A Field Guide to Wildflowers of Northeastern and North-central North America|year=1996|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/fieldguidetowild00roge}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|isbn=978-0-88192-557-9|author=MacKenzie, David, S|title=Perennial Ground Covers|year=2002}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|isbn=978-0-87773-639-4|author=Hutchens, Alma R|title=Indian Herbalogy of North America|year=1969}}</ref><ref name=Hall>{{cite book|last=Hall|first=Joan Houston|year=2002|title=Dictionary of American Regional English|publisher=Harvard University Press|page=47|isbn=978-0-674-00884-7|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=i33BWgxbvXgC&q=%22Gaultheria+procumbens%22+partridgeberry&pg=PA47 |access-date=2007-11-16}}</ref>{{efn|Or '''partridgeberry'''. This name sometimes refers to ''Vaccinium vitis-idaea'' (the lingonberry), but ''wild'' partridgeberry is more common for that species.}} '''squaw vine''',<ref>Susan Gregg. ''The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Magical Plants, Revised: A Practical Guide to Creating Healing, Protection, and Prosperity Using Plants, Herbs, and Flowers.'' Fair Winds Press, 2013. [https://books.google.com/books?id=L2T4AgAAQBAJ&pg=PT35 p. 65.] {{ISBN|9781592335831}}</ref>{{efn|Or '''squaw berry'''.}} '''twin berry''',<ref name="BrittonBrown1913"/><ref name="Austin"/>{{efn|Or '''twinberry'''.}} '''two-eyed berry''',<ref name="Ontario"/> '''running box''',<ref name="Austin"/> '''checker berry'''<ref name="Austin"/>{{efn|Checker berry usually refers to ''Gaultheria procumbens'' (the American wintergreen).}} and '''tea berry'''<ref name="Austin"/>{{efn|Tea berry usually refers to ''Gaultheria procumbens'' (the American wintergreen).}} in English.

In aboriginal languages, it is known as ''binemiin'', ''binemin'' and ''binewimin'' in Ojibwe,<ref name="Ontario">[http://northernontarioflora.ca/description.cfm?speciesid=1002166 "Mitchella repens L."] at the Northern Ontario Plant Database. Retrieved 30 June 2023.</ref> ''noon-yeah-ki'e oo-nah'yea'' in Onondaga<ref>W. M. Beauchamp. "Onondaga Plant Names." ''The Journal of American Folklore.'' '''15:57''' (April–June 1902). p. 99. {{doi|10.2307/533477}}</ref> and ''fiːtó imilpá'' in Koasati (Coushatta).<ref name="Austin">Daniel F. Austin. ''Florida Ethnobotany.'' CRC Press, 2004. [https://books.google.com/books?id=7qgPCEiI4WMC&pg=PA441 pp. 441–442.] {{ISBN|9780203491881}}</ref>

==Description== The partridge berry is an evergreen plant growing as a non-climbing vine, no taller than 6 cm tall with creeping stems 15 to 30 cm long. The evergreen, dark green, shiny leaves are ovate to cordate in shape. The leaves have a pale yellow midrib. The petioles are short, and the leaves are paired oppositely on the stems. Adventitious roots may grow at the nodes;<ref name="BrittonBrown1913">{{cite book|author1=Nathaniel Lord Britton|author2=Addison Brown|title=An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British possessions: from Newfoundland to the parallel of the southern boundary of Virginia, and from the Atlantic Ocean westward to the 102d meridian|url=https://archive.org/details/illustratedflor03brit/page/n7/mode/2up|volume=3|access-date=4 September 2010|year=1913|publisher=C. Scribner's sons|pages=[https://archive.org/details/illustratedflor03brit/page/254/mode/2up 255]–}}</ref> and rooting stems may branch and root repeatedly, producing loose spreading mats.

The small, trumpet-shaped, axillary flowers are produced in pairs, and each flower pair arises from one common calyx which is covered with fine hairs. Each flower has four white petals, one pistil, and four stamens. Partridge berry is a distylous taxon. The plants have flowers with either long pistils and short stamens (long-styled flowers, called pins) or short pistils and long stamens (short-styled flowers, called thrums).<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hicks |first=David J. |last2=Wyatt |first2=Robert |last3=Meagher |first3=Thomas R. |date=1985 |title=Reproductive Biology of Distylous Partridgeberry, Mitchella repens |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2443300 |journal=American Journal of Botany |volume=72 |issue=10 |pages=1503–1514 |doi=10.2307/2443300 |issn=0002-9122|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The two style morphs are genetically determined, so the pollen from one morph does not fertilize the other morph, resulting in a form of heteromorphic self-incompatibility.<ref> Fecundity in Distylous and Self-Incompatible Homostylous Plants of Mitchella repens (Rubiaceae) Fred R. Ganders Vol. 29, No. 1 (Mar., 1975), pp. 186-188 Published by: [https://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=ssevol Society for the Study of Evolution] Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2407152</ref>

The ovaries of the twin flowers fuse together, so that there are two flowers for each berry. The two bright red spots on each berry are vestiges of this process. The fruit ripens between July and October, and may persist through the winter. The fruit is a drupe containing up to eight seeds. The fruits are never abundant. They may be part of the diets of several birds, such as ruffed grouse, sharp-tailed grouse, northern bobwhite, and wild turkey. They are also consumed by foxes, white-footed mice, and skunks.<ref name="MartinZim1951">{{cite book|author1=Alexander Campbell Martin|author2=Herbert Spencer Zim|author3=Arnold L. Nelson|title=American wildlife & plants: a guide to wildlife food habits; the use of trees, shrubs, weeds, and herbs by birds and mammals of the United States|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D0Agix0WYWwC&pg=PA361|access-date=4 September 2010|year=1951|publisher=Courier Dover Publications|isbn=978-0-486-20793-3|pages=361–}}</ref><ref name="Harrison2006">{{cite book|author=Marie Harrison|title=Groundcovers for the South|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Cpq_V16kp0wC&pg=PA76|access-date=4 September 2010|date=30 March 2006|publisher=Pineapple Press Inc|isbn=978-1-56164-347-9|pages=76–}}</ref> The foliage is occasionally consumed by white-tailed deer.<ref name="MillerMiller2005">{{cite book|author1=James Howard Miller|author2=Karl V. Miller|title=Forest plants of the Southeast and their wildlife uses|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N4uFSMmqTRQC&pg=PA280|access-date=5 September 2010|date=May 2005|publisher=University of Georgia Press|isbn=978-0-8203-2748-8|pages=280–}}</ref>

The common reproduction is vegetative, with plants forming spreading colonies.<ref name="Schmid2002">{{cite book|author=Wolfram George Schmid|title=An encyclopedia of shade perennials|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oKVsZdgB-QEC&pg=PA243|access-date=4 September 2010|date=13 September 2002|publisher=Timber Press|isbn=978-0-88192-549-4|pages=243–}}</ref>

==Distribution and habitat== The species is distributed throughout eastern North America, from south Eastern Canada south to Florida and Texas, and to Guatemala. It is found growing in dry or moist woods, along stream banks and on sandy slopes.

==Cultivation and uses== ''Mitchella repens'' is cultivated for its ornamental red berries and shiny, bright green foliage.<ref name="Schmid2002"/> It is grown as a creeping ground cover in shady locations. It is rarely propagated for garden use by way of seeds but cuttings are easy.<ref name="Cullina2000">{{cite book|author=William Cullina|title=New England Wildflower Society guide to growing and propagating wildflowers of the United States and Canada|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=81-9XHU9qi4C&pg=PA148|access-date=4 September 2010|date=18 March 2000|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt|isbn=978-0-395-96609-9|pages=148–}}</ref> The plants have been widely collected for Christmas decorations, and over collecting has affected some local populations negatively.<ref name="Schmid2002"/> The plants are sometimes grown in terrariums.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MIRE | title=Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - the University of Texas at Austin}}</ref>

The scarlet berries are edible<ref>{{Cite book|last=Angier|first=Bradford|url=https://archive.org/details/fieldguidetoedib00angi/page/162/mode/2up|title=Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants|publisher=Stackpole Books|year=1974|isbn=0-8117-0616-8|location=Harrisburg, PA|page=162|oclc=799792|author-link=Bradford Angier}}</ref> but rather tasteless, with a faint flavour of wintergreen, resembling cranberries (to which they are not closely related). Indigenous American women made a tisane from the leaves and berries that was consumed during childbirth;<ref name="Schmid2002"/> the Menominees used the leaves for a drink to cure insomnia.<ref name="Austin"/>

Traditionally, the plant had numerous medicinal uses including as a diuretic (by the Cherokee and Iroquois), a diaphoretic (Cherokee), for women's problems or reproductive issues (Cherokee, Delaware, Iroquois), and as an analgesic or to reduce fever or swelling (Abenaki, Iroquois, Montagnais).<ref name="Austin"/>

==Notes== {{Notelist}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Mitchelleae Category:Berries Category:Flora of Northern America Category:Flora of Asia Category:Medicinal plants Category:Plants described in 1753 Category:Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Category:Groundcovers