Herbs, prostrate, ascending or erect, 5-30(-80) cm tall, often suffused deep purple. Rootstock a deeply buried subglobose tuber producing 1 to several slender annual shoots, 10-20 cm × tuber 2-4 cm thick; tuber sometimes with bright yellow latex in center; shoots 3-5 mm thick. Stems single or clustered, underground portion often very slender, usually many branched above ground, red or pale red when young, pale yellow or yellow-green when old, glabrous or puberulent; sterile shoots often present and overtopping inflorescence. Leaves alternate, mostly uniform in size; stipules absent; basal scale-leaves ovate-oblong; petiole absent; leaf blade obovate (to long elliptic), rarely linear, 0.8-2.7 × 0.4-0.9 cm, glabrous or ciliate on margins, base rounded or cuneate, margin entire, apex rounded or subacute; midrib raised abaxially, lateral veins few, inconspicuous. Inflorescence a terminal pseudumbel [often overtopped by lateral branches]; primary involucral leaves 5-8(-16), often flushed dark purplish abaxially, sometimes brownish yellow, similar to normal leaves, base often attenuate into broad petiole, apex rounded, primary rays 5-8, 1-5 cm; secondary involucral leaves similar to primary involucral leaves; cyathophylls often 3, obovate, ca. 8 × 5-6 mm, base cuneate, apex rounded. Cyathium sessile; involucre cuplike, ca. 3.5 × 3-4 mm, outside usually brown pilose, lobes linear, apex irregularly finely serrulate, inside pilose or glabrous; glands 4, pale brown, reniform-rounded, outside pubescent. Male flowers many, usually not exserted from involucre. Female flower: ovary not exserted at anthesis, smooth, sparsely pubescent when young; styles free almost to base; style arms almost entire. Capsule ovoid-globose, 5-6 × 5-6 mm, smooth, glabrous. Seeds ovoid-terete, 2.5-4 × 1.8-2.5 mm, gray-brown or light gray, smooth, adaxially ridged; caruncle peltate, white, sessile. Fl. and fr. May-Aug.
Can be grown by cuttings, divisions or seedlings. Seeds needs soaking.
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