铁筷子 tie kuai zi

Helleborus chinensis Maximowicz; H. viridis Linnaeus var. thibetanus (Franchet) Finet & Gagnepain.

Rhizome ca. 4 mm in diam., with dense succulent long fibrous roots. Stems 30--50 cm tall, glabrous, base with 2 or 3 scales, apically branched. Basal leaves 1(or 2), glabrous, long petiolate; petiole 20--24 cm; leaf blade reniform or pentagonal, 7.5--16 × 14--24 cm, pedately 3-sect; central segment oblanceolate, 1.6--4.5 cm wide, above middle densely serrate; later- al segments shortly stalked, flabellate, unequally 3-sect. Cauline leaves subsessile, smaller than basal ones, central segment narrowly elliptic, lateral ones unequally 2- or 3-parted. Flower 1(or 2), terminal, 3.5--6 cm in diam., glabrous. Sepals pink-red, green at fruiting, elliptic or narrowly elliptic (1.1--) 1.6--3.3 × (0.5--)1--1.8 cm. Petals 8--10, yellowish green, tubular 5--6 mm, shortly stalked, slightly 2-fid. Stamens (4.5--)7--10 mm; filaments narrowly linear; anthers ellipsoid, 1--1.5 mm. Follicles 2, rarely 3, 1.5--2.8 × 0.9--1.2 cm, basally fused, beak ca. 6 mm. Seeds ellipsoid, 3--5 × ca. 3 mm, lustrous. Fl. Apr, fr. May. 2n = 32*.

* Forests, in shade of shrubs; 1100--3700 m. S Gansu, NW Hubei, S Shaanxi, NW Sichuan.