Panax arunachalensis - Arunachal Panax

Arunachal Panax is a perennial herb, 40-110 cm tall, with rhizomes 25-30 cm, horizontal, variable in shape with prominent stem scars and rings at node. Flowers are borne in solitary, simple umbels at branch-ends, carried on stout flower-cluster-stalk 13-20 cm long. Bracts are linear 1-3 x 1 mm, green; flower-stalks 5-10 mm long, glaucous. Flowers are 80-90 per umbel, bisexual, sepal-cup persistent, sepals 5, triangular, hairless, alternate to petals, green. Petals are 5, free, lanceshaped, 0.2 x 0.1 cm, hairless, yellowish-green; stamens 5, free, 3-4 mm, filaments free 3 mm, anthers oblong, bilobed, white, about 2 x 1 mm, style 1 or 2, stigma continuous, green. Stem is stout, brownish-green, round, erect, 24-95 x 0.3-0.7 cm with scales at base. Leaves are 2-7, whorled at stem-tip, 18-30 cm long, exstipulate, palmately compound; leaf-stalks hairless, stout, 8-20 cm long; leaflet-stalks 1-4 cm with different sizes on a leaf; leaflets 5-7, lateral leaflets shorter, lanceshaped, 10-25.5 x 2.5-4.5 cm. Berry is more or less kidney-shaped, lower portion red and only tip part black, about 0.9 cm broad and 1.2 cm long; seed large and flattish about 6-9 mm long. As of now, Arunachal Panax is only known from Ziro valley in Arunachal Pradesh. Flowering: June-August.