Date: April 3, 2012. Location: Palasades-Kepler State Park (map)
| Classification Hierarchy | |
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Subkingdom | Tracheophyta |
| Superdivision | Spermatophyta |
| Division | Magnoliophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Subclass | Rosidae |
| Order | Rosales |
| Family | Saxifragaceae |
| Genus | Mitella |
| Species | Mitella diphylla |
Date: April 3, 2012. Location: Palasades-Kepler State Park (map)
Scientific Name: Mitella diphylla Mitella is diminutive of mitra [L](cap, turban)—in reference to the shape of the young fruit. diphylla (two leaved) alluding to the two cauline leaves on the floral stem.
Common Name: Bishop's cap, twoleaf miterwort (miter = cap; wort = plant)
Origin: Native
Notes: BONAP shows two species of Mitella in Iowa—M. dyphylla and M.nutans. M. nutans lacks the two cauline leaves on the flower stem.
Additional references: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.
Flowers: small flowers on short stalks (stipitate), bell-shaped (companulate) with a wide hypanthium (2-3.5 mm), 5 light-green trianglar sepals , 5 petals white and dissected, anthers 10, styles flattened and divergent; inflorescence is a raceme with up to 27 flowers—one per node; fruit capsules serve as splash cups which aid in the dispersal of the dark blackish seeds.
Leaves: basal, petioles with medium and long stipitate glandular hairs; blades ovate, with 3 to 5 lobes or dentate; 2 cauline leaves, opposite or nearly so (subopposite), sessile or subsessile midway on each floral stalk.
Glossaries of botanical terms: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.
