Densely long-villous throughout; lfls narrowly lanceolate, sharply acuminate, 1-2 cm, mostly in 4's; spikes 3-8 cm; bracts linear, mostly longer than the fls; fls red-purple, drying violet, 13-18 mm; fr ovoid, densely villous, 10-17 mm, short-beaked; 2n=16. Prairies and plains; Minn. and w. Ont. to Alas., Alta., and n. N.M. July.
Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.