Villosulous throughout, erect or decumbent at base, diffusely branched, 1-2 dm; lvs triangular-ovate in outline, 2-3 cm, deeply pinnatifid into 3-7 linear or narrowly oblong segments, the larger of these also few-toothed or occasionally pinnatifid, at base somewhat decurrent on the long petiole; pedicels 5-10 mm; cal 3-4 mm at anthesis; cor pale lavender, 3-5 mm. Wet sandy or muddy shores; s. Ont. and O. to Io. and Nebr., s. to Ga. and Tex. July-Oct. (Conobea m.)
Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.
Frequent in the southern half of the state, soon becoming infrequent to rare northward and probably absent or very rare in our northern counties. While well distributed, it is rarely found in colonies but more or less as scattered plants, except on stretches of the slope of the bank of the Ohio River, where it may be present for considerable distances. It prefers a moist, sandy soil and is almost entirely restricted to bare places on sand bars and muddy shores of streams and rarely in cultivated fields and open woodland.