Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Erect perennial herbs.

Stems:

Roots: Creeping rhizomes.

Leaves: Leaves simple or compound. Alternate. Basal leaves usually ternately lobed or compound; cauline leaves rarely opposite or forming an involucre subtending the inflorescence, palmately lobed or divided or compound. Margins entire to toothed, lobed or divided. Petiolate. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in inflorescences terminal, 2-9-flowered cymes or umbels, or flowers solitary, to 60 cm; involucres present, often with primary involucres subtending inflorescences, and secondary and tertiary involucres subtending inflorescence branches or single flowers (primary, secondary, and tertiary involucres appearing to be in tiers), involucral bracts 2-7(-9), leaflike or sepaloid, distant from or close to flowers. Flowers bisexual (perfect), actinomorphic. Calyx of 4–20 sepals; sepals petaloid, distinct, white, often tinged pink or purple. Corolla (petals) absent or present as gland-like staminodes. Stamens numerous, distinct; anthers dithecal, opening by a longitudinal slit. Ovary superior, carpels numerous, 1-celled; style short.

Fruit: Achenes flattened; without a margin; ± pilose.

Ploidy:

Habitat:

Elevation Range: