Herbs perennial, caulescent, rhizomes present, <without tubers or tuberlike thickenings>, stolons absent, bulbs absent. Aerial stems 1(–3) from base, erect, (10–)25–60(–100) cm, herbaceous, glabrate to sparsely or densely pilose or villous, <hairs ± straight, spreading, septate and nonseptate>. Leaves cauline, <mostly on distal 1/2 of stem>; stipules apparently absent; petiole 5–7.5 cm, <hairs septate and nonseptate>; leaflets 3, green, obcordate, 5–25(–30) mm, lobed 1/5 length, <lobes apically usually rounded, rarely ± truncate, margins green or brownish purple, ciliate>, surfaces glabrous, oxalate deposits absent. Inflorescences regular, irregular, or umbelliform cymes, 1–4(–8)-flowered; peduncles 7–12 cm. Flowers tristylous, <above level of leaves>; sepal apices without tubercles; petals yellow, with or without faint red lines proximally, 10–14 mm. Capsules ovoid to ovoid-oblong, 6–10 mm, sparsely puberulent. <Seeds brown, transverse ridges brown>. 2n = 28.
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Rhizomatous; stems 3–10 dm, erect, simple or sparingly branched, sparsely villous below with hairs to 1 mm; lfls 2–5 cm wide, usually purplish at the margin; infl cymose, usually much surpassing the lvs; pedicels strigose or spreading-hairy or both; pet yellow, 12–18 mm; fr 8–10 mm, very minutely spreading-hairy or glabrous; seeds 2 mm. Usually in rich woods; Pa. to O. and s. Ill., s. to Ga. and Tenn. May, June. (Xanthoxalis g.)