General:
Perennial herb from a taproot; stems several or sometimes single, spreading stiff-hairy on lower half, more appressed, upswept, straight-hairy above, 20-70 cm tall.

Leaves:
Basal leaves well-developed, persistent, stalked, oblanceolate or narrowly elliptic, 6-18 cm long and 8-25 mm wide; stem leaves ample, mostly unstalked and sometimes also clasping upward, lanceolate or lance-oblong to lance-elliptic, 5-12 cm long, 8-18 mm wide; stiff-hairy or appressed, coarsely straight-hairy, entire, alternate.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of several elongating, narrow clusters with leafy bracts at the base; petals white (rarely blue), fused at base into a short, narrow tube that spreads (7-12 mm wide) at top to 5 lobes, with 5 pimply, fuzzy, yellow bulges at the throat.

Fruits:
Nutlets 4, clustered together, with marginal, barb-tipped prickles distinct nearly to the base, facial prickles 8-30, much shorter than marginal ones.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia