Rhizomes superficial or only slightly buried in peaty soil, cordlike portions usually 1-branched, 40 cm × 2–5 mm, bearing scalelike leaves at nodes; nodal roots absent. Stems simple or 1–2-branched, 3–8 dm. Leaves: basal with blade slightly ribbed, 3–6 dm × 0.2–0.5 cm; cauline 1–4, erect. Inflorescence units 1–3-flowered, branch units 1–2-flowered; spathes pale brown, narrowly lanceolate, 2–4 cm, scarious or partially membranaceous. Flowers: perianth pale blue or blue-violet; floral tube 0.2–0.3 cm; sepals pale violet, veined deep violet basally, ovate, 4–5 × 1.3–2 cm, base abruptly attenuate; petals lavender, oblanceolate, 3.5–4.5 × 0.7–1.5 cm; ovary trigonal, sharply angled; style arched, narrow, 2–3 cm, crests divergent, quadrate, 0.5–0.7 cm, margins serrate; stigmas sharply triangular; pedicel somewhat flattened, 3–7 cm, exserted from spathe. Capsules sharply 3-angled, almost winged, 3–4 × 1.2–1.4 cm, concave faces 6–14 mm wide. Seeds in 1 row per locule, buff to dark brown, pyriform, with convex sides, 3–4 mm, smooth. 2n = 42.
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Lvs linear, erect, 5–7 dm × 3–7 mm, from slender, widely creeping rhizomes; stems slender, 3–10 dm; fls on slender pedicels much exceeding the spathes, 6–8 cm wide, violet to blue-violet; pet erect, obovate, with a slender claw; sep spreading-reflexed, veined with dark violet and variegated with white, the claw greenish and purple veined; fr sharply trigonous, 3–5 cm, apically dehiscent; 2n=42. Marshes, swamps, and damp meadows; near the coast from N.S. to Ga., and in the s. Appalachians. June, July.
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