Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Acaulescent perennial herbs from an ovoid bulb 2–2.5 cm long, covered with brownish ovate scales, maturing into masses of brown ovoid bulbils 3–6 mm in diameter in the axils of the old scales.

Stems: Leaves grow from an underground ovoid bulb 2–2.5 cm long, covered with brownish ovate scales, maturing into masses of brown ovoid bulbils 3–6 mm in diameter in the axils of the old scales.

Roots: Taprooted.

Leaves: Leaves compound (trifoliate). Alternate. Leaflets broadly obcordate, 1.5–4.5 cm long, 2–6.5 cm wide, leaflets often drooping. Surfaces glabrous or sparsely pubescent, both surfaces covered with minute reddish tubercles. Leaflet margins cleft at apex but otherwise entire. Petioles slender, flexuous, ascending, 10–25 cm long, ± villous. Stipules small, membranous, adnate to petioles.

Flowers: Flowers 2–12 in umbellate cymes; peduncles up to 35 cm long, usually villous, bracts several, ovate-lanceolate, 2.5–3 mm long. Flowers bisexual (perfect), actinomorphic. Calyx of 5 sepals, imbricate, shortly connate, oblong, 3.5–5(–6) mm long. Corolla of 5 petals, pinkish purple, spatulate, 11–20 mm long, apex obtuse to truncate. Stamens 10, in 2(3) series, 5 short and 5 longer, longer ones sometimes with a dorsal tube; filaments connate at base; anthers dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary superior, (3–)5-carpellate, with as many cells; ovules 3–8 per cell, in 1–2 rows.

Fruit: Fruit not seen.

Ploidy: 2n = 14; 22; 28; 30

Habitat: Usually in relatively wet; shaded sites.

Elevation Range: 10–850 m.