General:
Annual herb; stems erect, slender, 10-40 cm tall, usually branched below; glabrous or sparsely hairy.

Leaves:
Narrowly linear or linear-oblanceolate, 1-3 cm long, entire, not significantly reduced above.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of axillary clusters, the bracts leaf-like and hiding flowers and fruits, the flowers opening at dawn; petals 4, 1.3-1.8 mm long, white to reddish; sepals 4, bent back, deciduous; largest stamens 0.8-1.5 mm long; ovaries glabrous or glandular fine-hairy.

Fruits:
Capsules, 8-15 mm long, longer than the stalk, erect, slender, flat, glabrous, smooth or very slightly constricted between seeds, the lateral 2 valves not attached; seeds 10-35, erect in chambers, 0.5-0.75 mm long, glabrous to fine-hairy.

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:
Gayophytum helleri Rydb.
Gayophytum helleri var. glabrum Munz
Gayophytum humile var. hirtellum Munz
Gayophytum racemosum var. caesium (Torr. & A. Gray) Munz