Stems erect, glandular and viscid distally, often with few long, woolly hairs at proximal nodes. Leaves not marcescent, sessile; blade oblanceolate to spatulate proximally, lanceolate to narrowly elliptic distally, 10-60 × 3-15 mm, apex mostly acute, softly pubescent and glandular. Pedicels usually 1-3 times as long as sepals in flower, elongating to 5 times as long as sepals in fruit. Flowers: sepals ovate-lanceolate, 4-6 mm; petals shorter than to slightly longer than sepals. Capsules (8-)10-12(-13) mm. 2n = 36.

Flowering throughout growing season. Moist woods, stream banks, meadows, shores, rock ledges, boggy places, cultivated land; 0-2800 m; Alta., B.C., Man., N.W.T., Ont., Que., Sask., Yukon; Ala., Alaska, Ark., Colo., Conn., Del., D.C., Ga., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Mont., Nebr., N.J., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Oreg., Pa., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Vt., Va., Wash., W.Va., Wis., Wyo.

This species has also been reported from nearly all parts of the state. It prefers a moist soil and is locally abundant mostly in fallow fields, pastures, and open woodland along streams.