Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Erect perennial herbs.

Stems: Stems 6–12 dm long, striate, glabrous.

Roots: Taprooted.

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades oblong–ovate to oblong–lanceolate, basal leaves usually 25–45 cm long, 9–11 cm wide, cauline leaves 6–30 cm long, 2–11 cm wide. Apex acuminate to obtuse. Base truncate to subcordate. Upper surfaces usually glabrous; lower surfaces usually papillose–pilose along veins, occasionally glabrous. Margins subentire to erose, undulate. Petioles usually 2–9 cm long, those of basal leaves up to 25 cm long. Stipules forming sheath or ocrea.

Flowers: Flowers usually 14–24 in clusters, these arranged in racemose, sometimes branched inflorescences. Flowers unisexual (and the plants monoecious), actinomorphic. Tepals 6, outer 3 much smaller than inner ones, green, connate at base into a minute floral tube, inner 3 valves erect, staminate flowers with outer Tepals 0.8–1 mm long, the valves membranous, 1–1.3 mm long; pistillate flowers with outer Tepals 1–1.2 mm long, the valves membranous, 1.5–2 mm long, enlarging to 4–5 mm long and becoming narrowly cordate in fruit, margins with straight or slightly curved teeth, some of which are 1–1.2 mm long, at least 1 of the valves with a tubercle, the tubercles unequal, 0.6–2 mm long. Stamens 6; anthers dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary superior, 1-celled; ovule 1; styles 3; stigmas fimbriate, dry.

Fruit: Nuts trigonous; enclosed by the valves; dark brown; 2–2.4 mm long; the surface glossy. Seeds with well-developed; starchy and oily endosperm.

Ploidy: 2n = 20; 40; 60

Habitat: Relatively mesic; disturbed areas and sometimes in areas dominated by native specie.

Elevation Range: 600–1,470 m.