Perennial to 1 m, rather roughly stellate; lvs triangular-ovate in outline, 6-15 cm, often hastate with 2 divergent lobes; fls axillary or in a leafy- bracteate terminal panicle; bractlets 6-10, linear, 3-9 mm; pet pink, obovate, 2-4 cm; capsule depressed- globose, 5-locular, hispid over the summit, 1 cm thick. Salt or brackish marshes; L.I. to Fla., Tex., and W.I. Aug.-Sept. Var. virginica, occurring from Va. s., has the hairs of the fr mostly 1.2-2.4 mm. Var. aquilonia Fernald, occurring from N.C. n., has the hairs of the fr rarely over 1 mm, and the plants tend to have smaller fls, shorter bractlets, and less densely hairy frs than var. virginica.

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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