Description
Key Characters:
Growth Form:
Erect perennial herbs.
Stems:
Stems 0.5–1.5 m long, appressed pilose.
Roots:
Creeping rhizomes.
Leaves:
Leaves compound (ternate).
Alternate, basal.
Leaflets ovate, leaflets 4–20 cm long, 5–15 cm wide; cauline leaves rarely opposite or forming an involucre subtending the inflorescence, palmately lobed or divided or compound.
Base cordate.
Upper surfaces green, sparsely strigose; lower surfaces pale green, appressed pilose, primarily along veins.
Margins toothed and lobed.
Petiolate.
Stipules absent.
Flowers:
Flowers in scape 30--100 (--120) cm, sparsely pubescent; cyme 2- or 3-branched, many flowered. involucral bracts 3; petiole 2--3 cm, base sheathing; bract blade similar to that of leaves, ternate, 3--7 cm.
Flowers bisexual (perfect), actinomorphic.
Calyx of 5–20 sepals; sepals white, often tinged pink or purple, lower surface velvety pubescent.
Corolla (petals) absent or present as gland-like staminodes.
Stamens numerous, 4--6 mm, distinct; anthers ellipsoid, dithecal, opening by a longitudinal slit; filament filiform.
Ovary superior, carpels numerous, long stipitate, ca.1.5 mm, 1-celled, velutinous; style short; stigma rectangular.
Fruit:
Achenes numerous in a globose head; ca. 2 mm long; long–pilose. Achenes ovoid; ca. 2 × 1 mm; lanate; hairs 3--4 mm; style straight; short.
Ploidy:
2n = 16
Habitat:
Open; wet; disturbed areas along roadsides and in wet forest.
Elevation Range:
1,080–1,530 m.