# partridgeberry

*Mitchella repens*

The partridgeberry is unique because it takes two pollinated flowers to produce just one berry; the two ovaries fuse together to form a single fruit.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Gentianales › Rubiaceae › Mitchella
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Damp, acidic forest floors, often found under the shade of conifers or deciduous trees.
- **Diet:** Photosynthetic (Autotroph)
- **Range:** Eastern North America, Appalachia, Great Lakes Region, Maritime Canada
- **Size:** Creeping vine 1-2 inches tall, forming mats up to 3 feet wide
- **Lifespan:** Perennial (clones can live for decades)
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Habitat fragmentation, competition from invasive species like garlic mustard, and over-collection for winter decorations.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. This low-growing vine is safe to touch. The berries are edible but bland; avoid over-harvesting from the wild to preserve local populations and food sources for wildlife.

## About

Mitchella repens ( 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).

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/20fef01f-1e03-455a-a22f-aa19628e968e
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/83799
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitchella repens
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/352497961/medium.jpeg (mikoikoi, CC0, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.