七叶薯蓣 qi ye shu yu

Plants grayish white tomentose throughout except leaf blade adaxially. Rootstock unknown. Stem twining to left, prickly. Leaves alternate, palmately 3- or 5(or 7)-foliolate; petiole to 15 cm, sometimes prickly; middle leaflet broadly oblanceolate or lanceolate-elliptic; 7--23 × 3--8.5 cm, adaxially glabrescent, abaxially fawn tomentose, base cuneate into petiolule to 8 mm, margin entire or undulate, apex caudate-acuminate; lateral leaflets ovate-elliptic to obliquely lanceolate. Male spikes to 2.5 cm, in axillary panicles to more than 40 cm with long, lateral branches, most parts densely pale brown tomentose. Male flowers: pedicel ca. 0.5 mm; outer perianth lobes triangular-ovate, inner ones suboblong; stamens 3, inserted at base of outer perianth lobes; staminodes 3. Female spikes up to 4 together, 20--50 cm. Capsule oblong-obovoid, 3.5--4(--5) cm; wings 1--1.5 cm wide. Seeds inserted near apex of capsule; wing pointing toward capsule base. Fl. Oct--Feb, fr. Dec--Apr.

* Forests, mountain slopes; 600--1500 m. C and W Guangxi, S Guizhou (Luodian Xian), NW and SE Yunnan (Funing Xian, Jianchuan Xian).