Peter C. Hoch and Peter H. Raven

Chamaenerion latifolium (L.) Fr. & Lange in Fl. Dan. xvii, 49: 7. 1877; Shteinb. in Schischk. & Bobrov, Fl. URSS 15: 626 . 1949 ; Wendelbo, Nytt. Mag. Bot. 1: 46. 1952; Chamerion latifolium (L.) Holub, Folia Geobot. Phytotax. 7: 86. 1972.

Clumped perennial, forming large colonies by sprouting from woody rootstock; stems simple or moderately branched, glabrescent to dense strigillose, especially on inflorescence, 4-70 cm tall. Leaves elliptic to lanceolate-elliptic, 1-4.5 (-7.5) x 0.5-1.5(-2.5) cm, glabrous or sparse strigillose on upper leaves, especially on veins and margins, entire or sparsely denticulate, spirally arranged, strongly attenuate to shortly petiolate or subsessile. Inflorescence erect, 1-7(-12)-flowered, leafy. Flowers strongly recurved before anthesis, ovaries densely canescent, 12-20 mm, on pedicels 10-18 mm. Sepals 11-16 x 3-3.8 mm, acute, sparse to moderately pubescent. Petals 13-32 x 6-23 mm, entire, bright rose-purple to pale pink. Style 3.5-10 mm, sharply deflexed, becoming erect after anthers dehisce, glabrous to quite pubescent around the base. Stigma deeply 4-lobed and recurved, exserted beyond the anthers or sometimes surrounded by them. Capsules 4.5-7.5 cm long, on pedicels 1-1.8 cm long. Seeds 1.3-2.1 x 0.44-0.58 mm, acuminate, surface irregularly foveolate, the chalazal collar quite conspicuous, 0.1 -0.16 mm long; coma 9-12 mm long, white, not markedly deciduous.

Type from Kamtchatka.