About Synandra hispidula (Michx.) Baill.
Synandra hispidula (Michx.) Baill. has been reported to grow as an annual, biennial, or perennial herb, but studies confirm it is a strict biennial, at least in Kentucky and some Ohio populations. Its leaves are arranged oppositely and have serrated edges. Large flowers, colored yellow and white or pinkish, bloom from April through June. The flowers are more than 2 centimeters long, and can reach up to 4 centimeters in length. A single individual plant can grow up to eight branches. Its nutlets typically weigh around 7 mg, and can reach weights up to 13 mg. The nutlets contain a high amount of endosperm. This species grows in shady, moist forest habitats, including streambanks. It is commonly found alongside other mesic forest species: the trees Acer nigrum, Acer saccharum, Asimina triloba, and Tilia americana, and the wildflowers Jeffersonia diphylla and Caulophyllum thalictroide. This plant appears to be sensitive to environmental changes, and does not persist after removal of the forest canopy or the litter layer. It is browsed by deer, and mortality has been recorded in plants that have been grazed. However, it is hypothesized that its hard nutlets can pass through a deer's digestive tract, meaning deer may play a role in dispersing this species. Its flower stalks are observed to be fragile, lack pith, and fall over during flowering and fruiting; this trait may also play a role in seed dispersal.
