General:
Perennial herb from a creeping rhizome, finely dark-purplish or -blackish spotted almost throughout; stems erect, solitary, simple, smooth, 20-80 cm tall.

Leaves:
Basal leaves lacking; stem leaves opposite, unstalked, the upper leaves linear-lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, narrowed gradually to the bases, long-tapering to points, as much as 15 cm long, the lowermost leaves greatly reduced.

Flowers:
Inflorescence short, dense, slender, stalked, spike-like clusters in the axils of the two or three larger leaves near mid-stem, the individual flowers crowded and nearly unstalked; corollas pale yellow, dotted with red or purplish-black spots, 4-6 mm, deeply 5-lobed, the lobes somewhat clawed at the bases, linear-lanceolate, about twice the length of the calyces, sparingly spotted near the tips, sometimes bearing tiny toothlike, flat structures resembling fish scales just below each notch; calyces 5-lobed, the lobes lanceolate, 2-3 mm long, smooth, spotted; filaments distinct, exceeding the corolla lobes, smooth; styles about equalling the stamens; styles and ovaries spotted; sterile stamens lacking.

Fruits:
Capsules, breaking into valves at dispersal, about 2.5 mm long; seeds few.

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

Flower Colour:
Yellow

Blooming Period:
Mid Spring

Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Brown
Present from Spring to Summer

Source:  The USDA

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Naumburgia thyrsiflora (L.) Duby