Hackelia deflexa ssp. americana

General:
Annual or biennial herb from a taproot; stems usually single, sometimes few, spreading-hairy below, appressed straight-hairy above, 15-100 cm tall.

Leaves:
Basal leaves few and withering or absent; stem leaves 2-15 cm long, 0.5-3 cm wide, the lower oblanceolate and somewhat stalked, the upper lanceolate or narrowly elliptic and unstalked, coarsely stiff-hairy or appressed straight-hairy, entire, alternate.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of several elongating, narrow clusters, naked or with leafy bracts at the base, the flower stalks curved downward in fruit; corollas blue or sometimes white, tiny; petals fused at base into short narrow tube that spreads (1.5-3 mm wide) to 5 lobes, with 5 bulges at the throat.

Fruits:
Nutlets 4, clustered together, 2-3 mm long, with marginal barb-tipped prickles distinct to base, facial prickles 0-3.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia