Ozomelis stauropetala / side-flowered mitrewort

Adjectives: clonal, interesting bits, native, understory

Also known as: cross-shaped mitrewort; smallflower mitrewort; side-flower bishop’s-cap, starry mitrewort
Synonym: Mitella stauropetala

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Side-flowered mitrewort is considered uncommon so I consider myself particularly lucky to have seen it several times in different places. Despite the fact that its leaves are rather distinctive and certainly larger than many of its neighboring understory plants, it is the flowering stalk that always gets my attention. With those, several of its common names can be combined for fine description… the flowers are (very) small and cross-shaped. The petals give it a starry appearance, and they are all on one side of the stem (secund).

Each plant may have 1 to 6 flowering stalks, each with up to 40 flowers (although usually more like 10). There is only one flower at each node. Importantly (for distinguishing from related species), the flowers are white (perhaps sometimes slightly purple-ish).

Each flower has 5 white sepals (that can be mistaken for petals), and 5 deeply lobed, narrow, fork-like petals. There are 5 stamens that are rather pretty, too, if you have a hand lens or really good eyes.

There are no leaves on the flowering stalk. Instead, they are basal, nearly round but 5 or 7 lobed, and slightly hairy on both sides.

Side-flowered mitrewort sprouts from its roots and can, therefore, be found in spreading colonies with a dozen or more flowering stems. It is not, however, stoloniferous, so the individual colonies are not that spread out. This is another feature that distinguishes it from other members of the genus.

Look for this species in open forests/moist woods. It can also grow in bogs.

Interesting bits – Although there is piddling little information on this species on the web, there is one particularly interesting bit… it may be pollinated by fungus gnats (other Mitella spp. are)… those annoying little bugs that appear in your houseplants if they are even marginally, ever, over-watered. They live on the fungus that grows on the soil/potting mix. They don’t actually hurt your plants, and now, you know they do something good.