Astilbe

Herbs, clump-forming, not rhizomatous, not stoloniferous; caudex stout. Flowering stems erect, leafy, 150–200 cm, stipitate-glandular with unicellular and multicellular hairs. Leaves basal and cauline, usually ternately decompound or 3-pinnately compound, never simple, leaflets short-petiolulate; stipules present; petiole present, glandular-stipitate, hairs uniseriate and multiseriate; leaflet blades ovate, largest terminal leaflet usually 3-lobed, base of leaflet oblique, truncate, or cordate, margins coarsely and irregularly double-serrate, teeth mucronate, apex acuminate, surfaces short stipitate-glandular on veins abaxially, glabrous adaxially; venation of terminal leaflet pinnately-palmately netted. Inflorescences relatively large, plumose panicles, rarely congested and spikelike, terminal from terminal bud of caudex, (branched), 500–2000-flowered, bracteate, (elongate-triangular); (branches stipitate-glandular). Flowers usually unisexual, rarely bisexual, plants usually dioecious, rarely polygamous, (becoming reflexed in fruit, short-pedicellate); hypanthium 1/4 adnate to ovary proximally, free from ovary 1 mm, (shallow), greenish whitish; sepals 5, white [pink or red to purplish]; petals absent or (1–)5, white [pink or red to purplish]; staminate flowers: stamens 8–10, (erect), inserted below rim of hypanthium, filaments filiform, (anthers cordate-orbiculate), ovary abortive, surrounded by distinct nectary disc; pistillate flowers: stamens abortive, pistils 2(–3)-carpellate, carpels connate proximally, ovary superior, barely adnate proximally to hypanthium, 2- or 3-locular, with poorly differentiated nectary disc, placentation axile, styles 2(–3), stigmas 2(–3), capitate. Capsules 2(–3)-beaked. Seeds brown, winged due to presence of loose seed coat, often twisted at both ends, oblong-cylindric, striate or lightly wrinkled, lustrous. x = 7.

3-6 hours of sun per day, with protection from intense mid-day sun

Water moderately, allowing the top 3cm to dry out between watering.

Astilbe

Astilbe

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