Partridgeberry Mitchella Repens (Bedstraw Family Rubiaceae) a.k.a. Squaw-vine, Twinberry, Checkerberry, Winter Clover

Mitchella: for Dr. John Mitchell, Virginian and early correspondent of Linnaeus, and excellent botanist

repens: having creeping and rooting stems

This tiny evergreen perennial has creeping stems that send roots down from the nodes.  It can form large mats on the forest floor.  The leaves are round and have short stalks.  They grow opposite from the stem and are dark green with light green to white veins.  The white flowers grow in pairs from the end of the stem.  They are funnel-shaped and hairy inside, and are usually 4-parted, although they sometimes have 3 or 5 parts (as in these photos).  Bright red berries form when the flowers are done blooming, and they remain through the rest of the year until new flowers form or they are eaten.  As the berries ripen, they may appear white and red streaked.  The flower bloom occurs from mid-June into early July.