General:
Annual herb from a taproot, with long, spreading hairs and also shorter, straight, appressed hairs; stems usually with several branches from near the base, 5-30 cm tall.

Leaves:
Basal leaves few and small or absent; stem leaves linear to linear-oblong, 1-4 cm long, alternate, entire.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of several coiled,1-sided, spikelike arms; petals white, fused into a short tube that spreads (2-4 mm wide) at the top to 5 lobes, with 5 yellow bulges at the throat; calyces 4-6 mm long in fruit, densely straight, appressed-hairy and spreading-bristly.

Fruits:
Nutlets 4, clustered together, 1-2 mm long, egg-shaped, surface sandy (granular) and with scattered bumps or pimples, with a medial groove essentially closed or flared open at the base.

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