Diphylleia cymosa Michx.
Umbrella leaf, American umbrella-leaf
Umbrella leaf is native to southeastern North America.
Plants: This perennial plant reaches up to 2′ ⨉ 12″ (70 ⨉ 30 cm).
Leaves: On stems that do not flower, there is a single large umbrella-like leaf 1–2′ (30–60 cm) across. Flowering stems have two smaller leaves, divided into two symmetrical lobes, with very coarse teeth.
Flowers: Flowers bloom from May to June, appearing in rounded flowerheads about 3–6″ (7.6–15 cm) around, elevated well above the leaves. Individual flowers are white, with 6 petals.
Fruits: Fruits are another distinctive feature of this plant, thrust up above the leaves in clusters of powder blue grape-shaped berries on bright red stems.
Habitats: Moist areas such as seepages and stream banks in hardwood forests and coves, usually at elevations of 2000–5000′ (609–1524 m).
Online References:
5/22/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 17 × 12″ (44 × 29 cm) 
5/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 11 × 7″ (27 × 18 cm) 
9/14/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 15 × 10″ (39 × 26 cm) 
6/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 2 × 1′ (62 × 41 cm) 
5/14/2012 · Acton Arboretum, Acton, Massachusetts · ≈ 1½ × 1′ (52 × 34 cm) 
5/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 1½ × 1′ (52 × 34 cm) 
5/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm) 
5/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 1½ × 1′ (52 × 34 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | Includes magnolias, nutmeg, bay laurel, cinnamon, avocado, black pepper, and many others |
| Order | Ranunculales | Basal (evolved earlier) eudicots, also called “true dicots” |
| Family | Berberidaceae | Barberry family |
| Genus | Diphylleia | From Latin di, “two,” and phyl, “leaves,” because of leaf pairs |
| Species | cymosa | Bearing cymes, more or less flattened flower heads blooming from the middle out |
Diphylleia cymosa description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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