E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

General:
Annual or biennial herb from a taproot; stems ascending to erect, simple or much-branched with several stems from the base, slimy-hairy especially above, 5-40 cm tall.

Leaves:
Alternate, mostly stalked, usually hairy and slightly glandular; lower leaves 1-2 times pinnately cleft, the blades to 3.5 cm long and 2 cm wide; middle and upper leaves progressively less divided upwards, the uppermost leaves (below the flower clusters) smaller than the others, nearly unstalked, elliptic, merely toothed or entire.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of dense, head-like, terminal (and sometimes axillary) clusters; corollas pink, lavender or white, the slightly flaring tube 8-17 mm long, spreading to five, 3- 4 mm long lobes; calyces 5-8 mm long, the five lobes narrowly lanceolate.

Fruits:
Capsules, with 2- or 3-seeded chambers; seeds becoming sticky when moistened.