General:
Perennial, slightly woody herb from a rhizome, often forming colonies; stems usually single, 5-20 cm tall.

Leaves:
Evergreen, basal and stem leaves, often crowded towards base, egg-shaped to egg-shaped elliptic, 1.5-6 cm long, 1-2.5 (3) cm wide; round- to sharp-toothed or nearly entire, blunt to rounded at base, tips usually pointed; stalks 1-2 cm long.

Flowers:
Inflorescence a crowded 4- to 20-flowered one-sided raceme, arching, flowers radially symmetric, erect in bud, drooping in flower, 5-6 mm wide; flower stalks 2-8 mm long; bracts linear-lanceolate; petals 5, distinct, somewhat closed, 4-6 mm long, greenish or white, each with 2 small tubercles on the inner surface near the base; sepals 5, 0.5-1 (1.5) mm long, with jagged margins; stamens 10; filaments slender, about equaling the petals; anthers about 1.4 mm long, with terminal pores, tubes lacking; styles 3-4 mm long, exserted, straight or nearly so; stigmas 5-lobed.

Fruits:
Capsules, depressed globe-shaped, to 5 mm wide.

Notes:
Two varieties occur in BC:

1. Racemes mostly more than 10-flowered; petals greenish yellow; leaves elliptic to egg-shaped, pointed, and lustrous .......................................... var. secunda

1. Racemes usually 4- to 10-flowered; petals creamy white; leaves circular, blunt, and hardly lustrous .......... .......................................... var. obtusata Turcz.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Illustration Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Orthilia secunda subsp. secunda