General:
Deciduous perennial herb from a slender rhizome, spreading; aerial stems absent but single leaves are sent up along the rhizome.

Leaves:
Basal, palmately compound with 3 leaflets, blades fan-shaped, 3-9 lobed, deciduous, with a vanilla-like fragrance when dry.

Flowers:
Inflorescence in compact spikes, 2-5 cm long; sepals and petals lacking; stamens white, 8-20 mm long.

Fruits:
Achenes dark brown to reddish-purple, 3-4 mm long, finely hairy, with a somewhat fleshy to leathery thickened ridge.

Notes:
Recently some taxonomists (e.g., Williams 1993, Kartesz 1994) have recognized a second species (A. californica) in western North America. The latter is characterized by having a central leaflet with 6-8 lobes, whereas A. triphylla has a central leaflet with 3 lobes. Examination of herbaria material reveals that many sheets have mixed collections of plants with central leaflets with both 3 lobes (actually the 3-lobed ones usually have 2 additional, much smaller lobes, on the sides) and 7-9 lobes. This has also been noted in the field. At this time, we are not convinced that A. californica is worthy of recognition.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Illustration Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Achlys californica I. Fukuda & H.G. Baker
Achlys triphylla subsp. triphylla