Herbs, perennial, (0.1–)0.2–0.4 (–0.6) m, pale-glaucous, with thick, rather woody taproot and simple or branched caudex, without rhizomes. Stems clustered, usually erect or ascending, sometimes proximally decumbent or prostrate, not rooting, solid, sparsely to densely appressed stellate-hairy. Leaves mostly basal, persistent, to 10+; stipules linear-lanceolate to elliptic, 5–6 × 2 mm on proximal stem, 4–5 × 0.5 mm on distal stem; petiole 5.5–16 cm, basal 3–5 times longer than blades, reduced distally to 1/2 times as long as blades; blades: basal reniform-orbiculate, palmately (5–)7–9-lobed, deeply incised, (1.5–)2.5–4(–6) × (1.5–)2.5–4(–6) cm, base cordate, margins entire, apex rounded to acute, lobes linear to oblong, again deeply pinnately or ternately 3–5-lobed; cauline ternately lobed, lobes linear to filiform, narrowest on distalmost leaves, somewhat fleshy, surfaces hairy, hairs appressed, stellate; distalmost leaf lobes unlobed. Inflorescences erect, open, calyces not conspicuously overlapping except sometimes in bud, usually unbranched, usually 3–9(–15)-flowered, elongate, 1-sided, to 7–25 cm; bracts usually paired, linear or lanceolate to narrowly ovate, proximal divided to base, distalmost 2-fid or simple, 5 mm, shorter to longer than pedicels. Pedicels 3–8(–10) mm; involucellar bractlets absent. Flowers usually bisexual or, infrequently, unisexual and pistillate, plants gynodioecious; calyx (6–)7–10 mm, slightly enlarged in fruit, uniformly minutely stellate-puberulent; petals pink to rose, pale-veined at least when dry, 9–20(–25) mm, pistillate shortest; staminal column 3.3–7.5 mm, sparsely stellate-hairy; anthers pale yellowish to white; stigmas 6 or 7. Schizocarps 5–7 mm diam.; mericarps 6 or 7, 3.5–4.3 mm, roughened, back finely glandular-puberulent, sides and back coarsely reticulate-veined, pitted, mucro 0.5–1 mm. Seeds 1.5–2 mm. 2n = 20.
Home