Margins of phyllaries bear long, twisty and sticky hairs (viscid pilose pubescence). Some leaves and branches are opposite and some are alternate.Д«uds of the flower heads are covered by involucral bracts (phyllaries) in two series, the inner slightly longer than the outer. Photo 4: In a shady open site, branches are especially long and low-angled. Photo 3: Stem and branches topped by clusters of flowerheads. Terminal flower heads of a cluster bloom first. Flower heads are on weak pedicels to about Вј inch long. Each flower head in a cluster (except for terminal flower heads) is subtended by a short linear bract about в…њ inch long and 1/16 inch wide. Clusters are subtended, going from those lower to upper in the inflorescence, by small hastate leaves, to smaller triangular leaves, to even smaller lanceolate leaves and to tiny bract-like leaves. Upper portion of branches bear several clusters of flower heads. Note ribbed stem, purplish coloration and barely expanded leaf bases.ДЇlowering, consisting of composite flower heads, may occur from late spring into mid-fall over a two month period. Small leaves at top have crenulated margins with tips. Photo 2: Display showing large and smaller leaves and upper and lower surfaces. Smaller leaves do not have expanded bases and petioles are not winged. These small leaves may have entire (undivided) margins or shallowly crenulated margins with tiny tips that mark ends of tertiary veins. Leaves up-stem into the inflorescence become smaller, with shapes varying from hastate to broadly triangular. The bases of opposite leaves may be expanded and fused so that they wrap around the stem to form a leafy cup (the basis of the common name вЂњleafcupвЂќ). Photo 1: A young plant bearing the characteristic large ragged leaves of the species. Crushed leaves have a strong lemony scent. Pinnate venation is slightly suppressed on upper surface and strongly expressed on lower surface, with lower midrib of larger leaves standing in sharp, rounded relief. Petioles, to 4 inches long and rounded with flat tops, have short pubescence with longer scattered hairs along their edges. Wings lower on the petioles/midribs are narrower. The upper half of the petioles have wings with the same characteristics as the leaf lobes, including irregular margins. The soft leaves, dull light to medium green on upper and lower surfaces, are puberulent on the upper surfaces and less so on lower surfaces. The largest lobes may be 2ВЅ inches long and 1 inch wide. The terminal lobe, lateral lobes and major secondary lobes have acuminate (gradually tapering) tips. Lower leaves, to 12 inches long and 8 inches wide, have two to four somewhat opposite deeply cut lobe pairs with irregularly large-scale serrated margins. Leaf margins are narrowly turned-under (revolute). Leaves are opposite or the uppermost alternate. The glandular pubescence causes upper portions of flowering branches to feel viscid (sticky). Stems and branches are puberulent (covered with fine short down) throughout the plant, with pubescence within the inflorescence becoming longer and glandular (sap at hair tips). Stems and branches vary from light green to purplish with light green dominating on younger portions of branches and along shady sides of smaller stems and branches. Terete stems and branches are fistulose (hollow) and larger stems have noticeably longitudinal, rounded ridges. Lower branches grow straight from the main stems at a wide angles. Plants are mostly erect and may have a few lower branches along with shorter branching in the inflorescence.

White leafcup is an herbaceous plant with several stems from 2 to 5 feet long that grow from short fibrous roots. White leafcupвЂ™s habitat preference is light to medium shade in consistently moist, well-drained, rocky deciduous woods, ravines and talus slopes.

Other common names include small-flower leafcup, white-flower leafcup, white bearвЂ™s-foot and Canadian leafcup*. In Arkansas, it is primarily limited to the Interior Highlands (Ozark Mountains, Arkansas River Valley and Ouachita Mountains). In the U.S., its greatest concentration occurs in eastern Oklahoma across Arkansas and Missouri and, from there, scattered north into Minnesota to Vermont as well as south into northern Alabama. The specific epithet refers to the plantвЂ™s occurrence in Canada. The genus name is in reference to the Greek Muse Polymnia (also spelled Polyhymnia), goddess of music, song and dance. White leafcup ( Polymnia canadensis) of the Aster (Asteraceae) Family is a coarse, short-lived perennial.

Scorpioid cyme hydrophyllaceae