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General:
Perennial herb from compact and tuberous to fibrous, many-branched roots, the roots often fleshy; stems erect, (15) 30-70 cm tall, smooth, bases often reddish.
Leaves:
Distribution various on stems, at time of flowering the basal leaves 0-2 and stem leaves 3-7, stalks 0.4-14 cm long, blades round, 1.5-10 cm long, 3-18 cm wide, the ultimate segments 5-21 and 3-9 (15) mm wide on basal leaves, 0.5-6 (10) mm wide on stem leaves, entire, nearly smooth.
Flowers:
Inflorescence an 11- to 16- (37-) flowered, terminal raceme, the flowers bilaterally symmetrical; bracts linear-lanceolate, green to blue, 2-7 mm from flowers, short-hairy; flower stalks 1-3 cm long, short-hairy; petals 4, the lower 2 petals white, yellowish or tan, slightly elevated and more or less covering the stamens, 8-12 mm long, 2-lobed, the clefts 2-4 mm, the hairs white, mostly on or below junction of blade and claw; sepals 5, dark blue, short-hairy, the lateral two spreading, 14-20 mm long, 5-10 mm wide, the spurs curved downward, 14-18 mm long; stamens many; pistils 3 (5).
Fruits:
Follicles, (13) 18-25 mm long, 4.5-5 times longer than wide, short-hairy seeds winged on the margins, rough.
Notes:
Toxic; known to cause livestock poisoning.
Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
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