Slender biennial or perennial, about 1 foot to 2-1/2 feet tall; stems simple or few from base, with star-shaped or forked hairs, or smooth; basal leaves spatual-like, sepals purple or light purple with unequal sides, petals purple to light purple.
Height 11 to 32 inches tall; basal leaves, spatula-like, margins toothed, absent at flowering, stem leaves narrow, without stalks; flowers on 1 side of elongated stems, purple to light purple, to 1/2 inch long; fruits droop, 2 to 4 inches long.
Habitat
Mixed pine-oak forest, dry pine forests, limestone hills, rocky outcrops and meadows, stream banks, shaded ravines.
Flower Characteristics
Elongated clusters along one side, 6 to 10 inches long; sepals purplish, 1/4 inch long, smooth or hairy, somewhat unequal sides, lower sepals longer than upper sepals; petals purplish, spatula-like, slightly narrowed at base, 1/4 to 1/2 inch long.
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Basal leaves spatula-like on 1 inch stems, margins strongly wavy, toothed to pinnately lobed, hairs star-shaped, absent at flowering; upper leaves narrow, stemless, smooth margins, usually hairless, up to 1/4 inch long.
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Siliques (long, narrow seedpod, splitting open when mature), straight or nearly so, 2 to 4 inches long, widely spreading and pendulous (hanging or drooping downward); partitions transparent and broad; ovules 150 to 250 per ovary.
Seeds biseriate (arranged in 2 rows), plump, not winged, oblong, seed coat slimy when wet.