B. dioica

Culture

Cultural Requirements

Cool growing conditions, moist environment

Endangered Status

Least Concern; Critically endangered B2ab(v) in China

Original Botanical Description or Link to

Tuberous, creeping, stoloniferous, dioecious, deciduous herb, 3–11 cm high. All plant parts glabrous. Tubers 2–3 (1–2 old, one new). Stolon: usually one to three developing from previous year’s tuber, red, slender, 5–60 cm long, 1–2 mm thick, usually unbranched, rarely branched or towards the apex with many fibre-like branches in large individuals, one to many tiny white aerial bulbs on stolon tips, gradually turning red after stolons touch moss or rock surface. Stipule: lanceolate, 3–4 × 1–2 mm, glabrous, caduceus. Leaf: 1 per plant, basal, petiole green to red, 1–22 cm long, 1.5– 5 mm thick, adaxially shallowly grooved along the full length; lamina narrowly deltateovate, basifixed, symmetric, 2.5–17 × 1.5–10 cm, upper surface green, underside green, pink green or red, venation palmate, 8–9, green to red, adaxially impressed, abaxially prominent, tertiary even secondary veins invisible; base shallowly cordate, auricles non-overlapped, margin crenate to dentate or double serrate; apex acuminate. Inflorescence: cymose, usually 1, terminal, 8–22 cm long, rachis pink to red, 6–10 cm long, 1–2 mm thick; peduncle branched up to three times, primary 5–10 cm long, secondary and tertiary 3–5 mm long, with 2–5 female flowers or 3–5 male flowers. Bract: lanceolate 2–8 × 1–2 mm, caduceus. Male flower: pedicel 10–25 mm long; tepals 4; outer tepals ovate-orbicular, 6–15 × 5–10 mm, pink to red, margin entire; inner tepals elliptic, 4–8 × 2–4 mm, white to pale pink; androecium with 15–20 stamens; filaments 1–2 mm long, unequal, fused at base into a short column; anther obovate, 1 mm long, dehiscing via short slits near the tip, not hooded, connective not extended. Female flower: pedicel 12–30 mm long; bracteoles absent; tepals 3 (occasionally 2), persistent, outer two larger, elliptic-ovate, nearly equal, 6–15 × 6–10 mm, pink to red, inner one smaller, lanceolate, 6–7 × 3–5 mm, white to pink; ovary 3–locular, placentae bifid; styles 3, persistent, deeply forked once and spirally 1.5–2 circled. Fruit: pendulous, capsule ellipsoid, 7–10 × 6–8 mm; wings 3, unequal or nearly equal, red or reddish-green, rounded-triangular, 2–6 × 7–12 mm, stalk red, 15–40 mm long, 0.8–1 mm thick.