藏刺薯蓣 zang ci shu yu

Rootstock unknown. Stem twining to left, terete, brown hairy, sparsely prickly. Leaves alternate; palmately 5-foliolate; petiole 12--17 cm, grooved; middle leaflet elliptic, ca. 20 × 10 cm, adaxially glabrescent, abaxially long white pubescent, base narrowly cuneate into hairy petiolule 1--2 cm, margin entire, apex shortly acuminate, subcuspidate; lateral leaflets obliquely ovate-elliptic, smaller than middle one. Male inflorescence not seen. Female spikes sometimes branched, 7--25(--35) cm. Capsule brown or black at maturity, oblong, 4--6 cm, sparsely brown or white pilose, base slightly cordate or truncate, apex truncate; wings 1--1.2 cm wide. Seeds inserted near apex of capsule; wing pointing toward capsule base. Fr. Sep--Oct.

* Broad-leaved forests, mountain slopes; ca. 1200 m. SE Xizang (Mêdog Xian).