Annuals or biennials (perennials with mild winters), 4-70 cm. Stems loosely strigose to sparsely hirsute, hirsuto-villous, or villous. Leaves: basal commonly withering by flowering, cauline faces sparsely hirsute to villous. 2n = 18.

Flowering (Feb-)Mar-Jun(-Aug, in ne United States, Canada, and high elevations). Openings and margins of woods, marsh edges, creek sides, fields, roadsides, ditch banks, lawns, and other open, disturbed sites; 20-2900 m; Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.W.T., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Yukon; Ala., Ark., Calif., Colo., Conn., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Mont., Nebr., Nev., N.H., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Okla., Oreg., Pa., R.I., S.C., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Vt., Va., Wash., W.Va., Wis., Wyo.; introduced in Europe, Asia.

Frequent to common throughout the state in moist grounds in open woods, in creek bottoms, in open woodland pastures, in moist meadows, marshes, fallow fields, and prairies. It is rarely found in dry soil.