Herbs, perennial, deciduous, to 12 dm, glabrous or pubescent. Rhizomes formed of distinct annual increments, producing 1 leaf or flowering shoot per year. Aerial stems present. Leaves simple, 2-parted. Leaf blade 5-47 cm, parts lobed [or not], margins prominently dentate; venation palmate. Leaves of nonflowering shoot 1, basal; petiole centrally attached, erect, stemlike; blade orbiculate, peltate. Leaves of flowering shoots 2, cauline, alternate; petiole attached to blade near margin; blade reniform-orbiculate, peltate. Inflorescences terminal, cymose or umbelliform. Flowers 3-merous, 8-20 mm; bracteoles caducous, 2, scalelike; sepals falling early, 6, white or pale green; petals 6, white; stamens 6; anthers dehiscing by 2 apically hinged flaps; pollen exine spinose; ovaries ellipsoid; placentation appearing basal; style central. Fruits berries, dark blue, ellipsoid, glaucous. Seeds 2-11, red; aril absent. x = 6.

Sep 6, biseriate, ovate-elliptic; stamens 6; ovary ellipsoid; stigma sessile; fr a few-seeded berry; smooth perennial herbs with a thick rhizome, the flowering stem with 2 alternate lvs peltate near the margin, the basal lvs scattered, erect, with centrally peltate blade; fls in a pedunculate cyme, white. 3, the other 2 in e. Asia.

Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

©The New York Botanical Garden. All rights reserved. Used by permission.