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.

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