Perennials; hirsute or pilose proximally, sparsely pubescent or glabrous distally. Rhizomes swollen, compact at stem base, (fleshy, stolons many, slender, ca. 1 mm diam., pubescent or glabrous). Stems erect, usually unbranched, rarely branched distally, 1-2.5 dm, sparsely to densely hirsute or pilose proximally, sparsely so or glabrous distally. Rhizomal leaves usually simple, rarely 3-foliolate, (3-)6-16 cm, leaflets petiolulate or subsessile; petiole (1.5-)4-13 cm; lateral leaflets subsessile or petiolulate (to 0.5 cm), blade similar to terminal, much smaller; terminal leaflet (petiolule 0.5-2 cm), blade orbicular to reniform or broadly ovate, (1-)1.5-4.5 cm, base cordate, margins repand to coarsely crenate, (apiculate at vein endings, surfaces sparsely pubescent or glabrous). Cauline leaves 2-5, 3 or 5-foliolate, petiolate, leaflets petiolulate or subsessile; petiole 0.8-5 cm, base not auriculate; lateral leaflets sessile or petiolulate (to 0.5 cm), blade similar to terminal, smaller; terminal leaflet petiolulate (0.5-1.5 cm), blade broadly ovate to suborbicular, 1.5-4(-5) cm × 12-35 mm, margins repand to coarsely crenate or slightly lobed, (apiculate at vein endings, margins glabrous). Racemes ebracteate. Fruiting pedicels ascending to divaricate-ascending, 7-20 mm. Flowers: sepals (ascending) oblong, 3-3.5 × 1-1.5 mm, lateral pair not saccate basally; petals white, oblanceolate, 5-6.5(-8) × 1.5-2.5 mm, (not clawed, apex obtuse to subemarginate); filaments: median pairs 3.5-5 mm, lateral pair 2.5-3 mm; anthers oblong, 1.2-1.6 mm. Fruits linear, 1.5-2.5 cm × 1-1.2 mm; ovules 10-14 per ovary; style 1.2-2.5 mm. Seeds brown, oblong, 1.2-1.7 × 0.8-1.1 mm.

Flowering Mar-Jun. Moist wooded slopes, gorges, wooded ravines, seepage places; 300-1000 m; Ga., N.C., S.C., Tenn., W.Va.