Iostephane heterophylla

Iostephane heterophylla is a perennial herb of the daisy family (Asteraceae) endemic to Mexico, where it grows in pine-oak and oak-juniper forests of the mountains, generally between 1,500 and 3,000 metres elevation, from Chihuahua in the north to Oaxaca in the south. It arises from a thick, woody, often tuberous taproot and produces erect stems bearing variably shaped (heterophyllous) leaves, the lower ones broad and sometimes lobed, the upper narrower. The flower heads are solitary or few, radiate and yellow, with spreading ray florets surrounding a central disc, typical of the tribe Heliantheae. After flowering it sets small dry achenes. Known by numerous vernacular names including raiz del manso, hierba del manso, tecpahtli and tlalpopolote, the species is valued chiefly for its stout root, which is commercialized in Mexican herbal markets.