Shrubs, to 1 m, rhizomatous. Stems: bark ± smooth to slightly shredding; twigs sparsely multicellular eglandular-and shorter stipitate-glandular-hairy (hairs unbranched), also unicellular-hairy. Leaves deciduous; petiole multicellular eglandular-and stipitate-glandular-hairy and unicellular-hairy; blade elliptic to oblong or obovate, 1-8.3 × 0.4-3 cm, thin, membranous to chartaceous, margins entire, usually ± revolute, sometimes plane, eglandular-and unicellular-hairy, apex acute to rounded, abaxial surface eglandular-and stipitate-glandular-hairy, also unicellular-hairy, (± glaucous), adaxial surface scattered eglandular-and stipitate-glandular-hairy, also unicellular-hairy. Floral bud scales unicellular-hairy abaxially, and often stipitate-glandular-and eglandular-hairy, margins unicellular-hairy. Inflorescences sometimes fasciculate, 3-9-flowered; bracts similar to bud scales. Pedicels 3-10 mm, (usually glaucous), usually sparsely stipitate-glandular-hairy, and sometimes also densely unicellular-hairy. Flowers appearing before or, sometimes, with leaves, erect to horizontal, fragrant; calyx lobes 0.4-1.5 mm, often scattered stipitate-glandular-hairy, sometimes also unicellular-hairy, margins glandular-and/or eglandular-ciliate; corolla rose-purple to pink, rarely white, unspotted or red-spotted on upper 3 lobes, irregularly shaped, clearly 2-lipped due to very extensive connation of 3 upper lobes contrasting with 2 elongate, widely divergent lower lobes, 12-22 mm, glabrous or, sometimes, sparsely stipitate-glandular-hairy on outer surface, petals connate, upper lobe 3-8 mm, lateral lobes 12-22 mm (closely connate with upper lobe), lower lobes 12-22 mm, tube absent due to deep division between 2 lower lobes and between lateral and lower lobes; stamens 10, exserted, ± unequal, 9-20 mm. Capsules borne on erect pedicels, 0.7-1.7 × 0.3-0.6 mm, multicellular stipitate-glandular-and eglandular-hairy and densely unicellular-hairy. Seeds with flattened tails; testa tightly appressed. 2n = 52.
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Branching shrub to 1 m; lvs deciduous, narrowly oblong to elliptic, 2–5 cm, ciliate, finely hairy, especially beneath; fls appearing with or before the lvs, few and subsessile in a terminal umbel-like cluster; cor rose-purple to white, 2 cm, divided almost to the base into 3 segments, the upper segment erect, shallowly 3-lobed, the 2 lower narrow, spreading; 2n=52. Bogs and wet woods; Nf. and Que. to Ont., s. to e. Pa. and n. N.J. (Rhodora c.)