Herbs perennial, erect, 30--100 cm tall. Stems simple or branched; branches shallowly 8--12-grooved, sparsely pubescent, glabrescent. Leaves 1-or 2-pinnatisect; petiole 0.5--2 cm; ultimate lobe linear-lanceolate, elliptic, or linear, 1.5--10 × 0.1--2(--2.6) cm, leathery, both surfaces sparsely pubescent to subglabrous and reticulate, base cuneate, margin entire, apex acute to obtuse; basal veins prominent on both surfaces. Cymes terminal or axillary, (1--)3-to many flowered; peduncle 3.5--8.5 cm; bracts foliaceous or undivided, lanceolate. Flowers 2.5--4 cm in diam. Pedicel 1--7 cm, puberulous to subglabrous. Sepals (4 or)5 or 6(--8), white, spreading, narrowly obovate to narrowly oblong, 1--2.5 × 0.3--1 cm, abaxially velutinous or glabrous except for velutinous margin, adaxially glabrous, apex rounded to subtruncate. Stamens 6--9 mm, glabrous; anthers narrowly oblong, 2.6--3.2 mm, apex minutely apiculate. Ovaries pubescent. Style 5.5--8 mm, densely villous. Achenes obovate, 2.5--3.5 × 2--3 mm, pubescent; persistent style 1.5--3 cm, plumose. Fl. Jun--Aug, fr. Jul--Oct.
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A herb or vine that loses its leaves. It grows 2 m high and spreads 2 m wide. The stem is slender and twining. The leaves are a shiny green. The flowers are white and star shaped.
It is a temperate plant. It suits light to medium, moist, well-drained soils. It needs a protected partly shaded position. It is resistant to frost but damaged by drought.