Stems soft, flattened after pressing and appearing winged, glabrous. Leaves: petiole 0.3–4 cm; blade 1.5–7.5 × 1.5–5.5 cm, margins conspicuously dentate, base usually cordate to sub-cordate, rarely truncate or rounded, apex short acuminate to acute. Inflorescences glabrous or sparsely to densely glandular puberulent. Flowers clustered at apex of raceme, opening before elongation of raceme axis; floral tube a mere constriction between ovary and base of sepals to 0.5 mm; apical notch of petal 1/4–1/2 length of petal; pedicel and mature fruit combined length 3.7–6.5 mm. 2n = 22.

Flowering summer. Moist to wet places, on moss covered rocks and logs, cool, temperate and boreal forests; 0–2500 m; St. Pierre and Miquelon; Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.W.T., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Yukon; Ariz., Colo., Conn., D.C., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Iowa, Ky., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Mont., N.H., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Pa., R.I., S.C., S.Dak., Tenn., Vt., Va., Wash., W.Va., Wis., Wyo.