General:
Perennial herb from woody stem-base; stems decumbent to erect, 20-60 cm long, several to many, simple to branched above, usually minutely short-hairy and with some long, spreading hairs, sometimes nearly glabrous.

Leaves:
Oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate, 1.5-3 (3.5) cm long, entire or coarsely wavy-toothed, minutely hairy, reduced upward; unstalked.

Flowers:
Inflorescence a many-flowered terminal spike, 5-20 cm long, bracts 2-5 mm long; flowers somewhat bilaterally symmetric; hypanthium slender, 4-13 mm long; petals 3-8 mm long, with narrow claw and oval to diamond-shaped blade, pinkish or red to nearly white; sepals distinct, sharply reflexed, 5-10 mm long; stamens usually 8; filaments 3-5 mm long, often with a scale at the base; anthers 3-5 mm long; styles slightly longer than the stamens; stigma lobes 4, short, oval.

Fruits:
Nut-like, erect, somewhat diamond-shaped, 4-angled, somewhat winged on upper half, 4-9 mm long, glabrous to hairy, 1- to 4-seeded; stalks short, thick.

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:
Gaura coccinea Nutt. ex Pursh