Stems 1-many, decumbent to erect, 3-6 dm, flexuous, sympodially branched; herbage strigose to hirsute or partly glabrous, the pubescence often rusty; lfls mostly 9-17, elliptic to oblong or obovate, 1-2.5 cm; racemes usually several, terminal and opposite the lvs at the upper nodes, long-pedunculate, at first compact, soon becoming interrupted by elongation of the axis; bracts large, lanceolate, persistent, stipulate; fls 12-17 mm, nearly white at first, becoming pink or red, and drying purple; fr 3-5 cm, spreading hairy to occasionally subglabrous; 2n=22. Sandy fields, open woods, and barrens; s. Del. to Fla., e. to se. Ky., s. Tenn., and La. June, July. (Cracca s.)

Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

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