Rhizomatous, acaulescent, perennial herbs. Leaves 2 per node, glabrous or sparsely hairy; the petiole 7–18 cm long; the blade cordate, 4–12 cm long. Flowers perfect, solitary, epigynous, pedunculate in leaf axils; petals vestigial; sepals 3, long-attenuate, 2–6 cm, hairy, and brown-purple externally, white and purple internally, spreading, united at the base around the ovary; stamens 12; pistil 6-celled with 6 united styles. Fruit a fleshy capsule (
Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).
Mesic to wet coniferous, often western red-cedar forest, thickets; valleys to montane (
Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).