E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

General:
Perennial herb from a taproot; stems several, straight, appressed-hairy, downswept below, upswept above, and often with coarse, spreading hairs as well, 30-90 cm tall.

Leaves:
Basal leaves well-developed, oblanceolate, stalked, 5-15 cm long, 3-12 mm wide; stem leaves almost linear, mostly unstalked, to 10 cm long and 6 mm wide; closely appressed straight-hairy to often densely and softly short-hairy, and frequently with some coarse bristles, alternate, entire.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of several short clusters with leafy bracts at the base; corollas light blue (fading pink); petals fused at base into a short, narrow tube that spreads flat (5-12 mm wide) abruptly at top to 5 lobes, with 5 pimply bulges at the throat.

Fruits:
Nutlets 4, clustered together, the margins with prominent, barb-tipped prickles, the prickles united at base for 1/3-1/2 their length to form a shallow cup; intramarginal prickles several, smaller than marginal ones.