Shrub 1-2 m, the lower branches often rooting; young stems, buds, infl, petioles and lf-veins beneath tomentosely rusty-stellate; petioles 1.5-3 cm; lvs pinnately veined, broadly ovate, 10-18 cm (or smaller at anthesis), short-acuminate, basally cordate, serrulate; summer lvs sometimes narrower and coarsely toothed; cyme sessile; rays mostly 5, 2-5 cm; marginal fls neutral, with enlarged, slightly irregular, sometimes pink cor 2-3.5 cm wide; fr red, turning dark, 8-10 mm, the stone ovoid, flattened on one side, several-grooved; 2n=18. Moist woods; N.S. to Mich., s. in the mts. to N.C., and Tenn. May, June. (V. lantanoides)
Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.
