General:
Perennial herb from a deep, papery-scaled, egg-shaped bulb; flowering stems usually erect, 10-50 cm tall, occasionally branched, smooth.

Leaves:
Basal leaf single, linear, flat, 10-30 cm long, 2-20 mm wide, shorter than the stem, smooth, tapering to both ends, sheathing at the base, the margins entire; stem leaves single, bract-like, about at midpoint.

Flowers:
Inflorescence a terminal cluster of 1 to 4, erect or spreading, stalked flowers, above 2 or more narrowly lanceolate, unequal bracts; flowers white, often tinged with purple, bell- to bowl-shaped; petals 3, distinct, egg-shaped to lanceolate, 2-2.5 cm long, short-clawed, fringed with long hairs on the margins, pimply-surfaced and sparsely bearded on the inside on the lower half above the claws, the nectar gland arching upward, a purple crescent above the gland; sepals lanceolate with long-tapering tips nearly as long as the petals, smooth; stamens 6, anthers tapering to pointed tips; pistil 1, 3-chambered.

Fruits:
Capsules, ellipsoid, 1.5-2 cm long; 3-winged, erect; seeds many, straw-coloured.

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