Colonial low subshrub (under 1 m height); shoots sometimes die back annually to near the ground. Native in central North America; reported from Worcester Co. in 1932. Similar to the boreal R. acicularis but differs in less numerous, glandless leaflets, inflorescences on current-year stems (on terminal branchlets of the current season) and sometimes on lateral branchelts of the previous year, with more numerous flowers (1-5, vs. 1-3 in R. acicularis).