Perennials; usually glabrous, rarely sparsely pubescent. Rhizomes (unsegmented), cylindrical, 2-10 mm diam., (somewhat uniform, fleshy, not fragile, with dentate leaf scars). Stems erect, unbranched, (1.2-)1.5-3.5(-4) dm, rarely sparsely pubescent distally. Rhizomal leaves 3-foliolate, (5.5-)8-22(-26) cm, leaflets petiolulate or subsessile; petiole (3-)4.5-16(-20) cm; lateral leaflets subsessile or petiolulate, blade often similar to terminal, base sometimes oblique; terminal leaflet (petiolule 0.5-1.2 cm), blade ovate-elliptic to broadly ovate, (2-) 3.5-8(-10) cm × (5-)20-65(-80) mm, base cuneate to obtuse, margins coarsely crenate or dentate, (surfaces puberulent, trichomes to 0.1 mm). Cauline leaves 2 (or 3) [(sub)opposite], 3-foliolate, (similar to rhizomal leaves), petiolate, leaflets petiolulate or subsessile; petiole (1-)2-4.5 cm, base not auriculate; lateral leaflets similar to terminal; terminal leaflet subsessile or petiolulate (0.2-1 cm), blade broadly elliptic to ovate, (2-)4-8(-10) cm × 10-50 mm, margins coarsely dentate or crenate, (margins minutely puberulent). Racemes ebracteate. Fruiting pedicels ascending to divaricate, (10-)15-30 (-36) mm. Flowers: sepals oblong, (4-)5-8 × 2-3 mm, lateral pair slightly saccate basally; petals white or pink to purple, obovate to oblanceolate, (7-)9-15(-17) × (3-)4-7 mm, (short-clawed, apex rounded); filaments: median pairs 5-8 mm, lateral pair 3.5-6 mm; anthers linear to oblong, 2.5-3 mm. Fruits linear-lanceolate, 1.5-4 cm × 1.5-2.5 mm; ovules 10-14 per ovary; style 4-8(-10) mm. Seeds (rarely produced) brown, oblong, 2-2.2 × 1.2-1.5 mm (cotyledons incumbent). 2n = 96. Flowering Apr-Jun. Wooded bottoms and ravines, cliffs, bluffs, ledges, shaded slopes, meadows, moist fields, alluvial banks, rich woods; 50-1300 m; N.B., N.S., Ont., Que.; Ala., Ark., Conn., Ga., Ill., Ind., Ky., Maine, Mass., Mich., Minn., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Pa., S.C., Tenn., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis.