There are two species of baby's breath in British Columbia. These may be separated as follows: 1. Inflorescence glandular-hairy; calyx teeth 3-4 mm long.........G. scorzonerifolia 1. Inflorescence glabrous; calyx teeth 1.5-2.0 mm long...............G. paniculata

General:
Perennial herb from a stout rhizome; stems erect, several, usually much branched, glandular above, 0.3-1.0 m tall.

Leaves:
Basal leaves lacking; stem leaves opposite, rounded to linear-oblong to lanceolate, 2-8 cm long, 1.0-3.5 cm wide, obscurely 1-3 nerved, unstalked; stipules lacking.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of a few flowers in a large, diffusely branched, leafy-bracted, panicle-like cluster; flowers stalks glandular-hairy; petals 5, white to pale pink, oblanceolate, rounded to somewhat notched, stalklike at the base, slightly exceeding the calyces, about equalling the 10 stamens; sepals 5, glandular-hairy, the white membrane below the notches contrasting strongly with the usually purplish back of the 5 lobes, united, forming a tube 1.5-2 mm long, fused nearly to the tip.

Fruits:
Capsules egg-shaped, 2-3 mm long, 4-valved; seeds 2-5, nearly black, 1.5-2 mm long, prominently cross-wrinkled and pimply in longitudinal, concentric rows.

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