Stem normally forked at base, one branch sterile, 1-3 dm, with lvs crowded at the summit, the other fertile, usually lfless, ascending, 4-10 dm; stipules deciduous; lateral lfls ovate to ovate-oblong, the terminal one elliptic to ovate, 4-10 cm; fls 6-8 mm, pink to purple (white); pedicels 1-2 cm; stamens monadelphous; cal-lobes short; stipe glabrous, 10-18 mm; articles 2-4, semi-obovate, 6-10 mm, glabrous on the upper margin. Rich woods; Me. to Minn., s. to Fla. and Tex. July-Sept.
Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.
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