Perennials; glabrous throughout. Rhizomes cylindrical, slender, 1-3 mm diam. Stems erect, unbranched or rarely branched distally, (0.8-)1-2.5(-3.5) dm. Rhizomal leaves simple or 3-foliolate, (1.5-)3-8 cm, leaflets petiolulate or subsessile; petiole (1-)2-6 cm; lateral leaflets subsessile, blade similar to terminal, much smaller; terminal leaflet petiolulate (to 1 cm), blade reniform to cordate, (0.5-)1-2 cm, base cordate, margins entire or 3-lobed. Cauline leaves 3-7, 3-foliolate (or distalmost simple), petiolate, leaflets petiolulate or sessile; petiole 0.7-3.5 cm, base auriculate (auricle 0.7-5 mm); lateral leaflets sessile or petiolulate (to 0.5 cm), blade oblong to ovate or oblong; terminal leaflet (petiolule 0.5-1 cm), blade broadly ovate to suborbicular or reniform, 1.5-4 cm × 15-35 mm, margins often 3 or 5-lobed (lobe apex minutely apiculate, glabrous on margin). Racemes ebracteate. Fruiting pedicels divaricate-ascending, (7-) 10-17 mm. Flowers: sepals oblong, 2.5-3 × 1-1.5 mm, lateral pair not saccate basally; petals white, oblanceolate, 6-8 × 2-3 mm (not clawed, apex obtuse to subemarginate); filaments: median pairs 3.5-4 mm, lateral pair 2-2.5 mm; anthers ovate, ca. 0.7 mm. Fruits linear, (1.5-) 2-3.5(-4) cm × 1.3-1.7 mm; ovules 10-16 per ovary; style 2-4 mm. Seeds brown, oblong, 1.7-2 × 1-1.2 mm.

Flowering May-Jun. Wet areas, springs, moist slopes; 1300-1800 m; Ala., Fla., Ga., N.C., Tenn., Va.