Perennials; usually sparsely pubescent, sometimes glabrous. Rhizomes (tuberiform, fragile), moniliform, segments fusiform, 2–10 (–20) mm diam. (fleshy). Stems erect, unbranched, (1–) 2–4 (–5.5) dm, glabrous or pubescent distally. Rhizomal leaves 3-foliolate, (7–) 10–20 (–30) cm, leaflets sessile; petiole (4–) 7–18 (–25) cm; lateral leaflets similar to terminal, blade sometimes smaller; terminal leaflet blade oblong, lanceolate, oblanceolate, or linear, 2.5–6 cm, base cuneate, margins coarsely dentate to incised, laciniate, or 3-lobed (lobes usually toothed to incised, rarely entire, surfaces puberulent or not, trichomes 0.2–0.3 mm). Cauline leaves (2 or) 3, 3-foliolate (usually whorled or opposite, rarely alternate, similar in morphology to rhizomal leaves), petiolate, leaflets petiolulate or subsessile; petiole (1–) 1.5–6 (–7.5) cm, base not auriculate; lateral leaflets sessile, blade similar to terminal, sometimes smaller; terminal leaflet subsessile or petiolulate (to 3 cm), blade lanceolate, linear, or oblanceolate, (3–) 4–10 (–12) cm × (3–) 5–20 (–25) mm, margins usually coarsely dentate to incised, rarely subentire (margins minutely puberulent). Racemes ebracteate. Fruiting pedicels ascending to divaricate, (6–) 10–27 (–33) mm. Flowers: sepals oblong, (4–) 5–8 × 2–4 mm, lateral pair slightly saccate basally; petals white to pale-pink, oblanceolate, (8–) 10–20 × (3–) 4–7 (–9) mm, (short-clawed, apex rounded); filaments: median pairs 8–12 mm, lateral pair 6–8 mm; anthers oblong-linear, 1.5–2.5 mm. Fruits linear-lanceolate, (2–) 2.5–3.8 (–4.8) cm × 1.5–3 mm; (valves glabrous or sparsely pubescent); ovules 10–14 per ovary; style (2–) 5–9 (–12) mm. Seeds brown, oblong, 1.6–3 × 1.8–2 mm. 2n = 128–256.

Phenology: Flowering Feb–May.
Habitat: Wooded bottoms and bluffs, rich woods, limestone cliffs and outcrops, rocky banks, mesic forests, moist areas with leaf litter, floodplain woods
Elevation: 0-1000 m

Distribution

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Ont., Que., Ala., Ark., Conn., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Nebr., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Okla., Pa., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis.

Discussion

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

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