General:
Annual skunky-smelling herb from a taproot; stems erect, simple to moderately branched, glandular-hairy, 10-40 cm tall.

Leaves:
Alternate, 2-6 cm long, firm, spiny, 1 to 2 times pinnately cleft, the axis and segments linear, the terminal segment not elongate.

Flowers:
Inflorescences dense, leafy-bracted heads, to 3 cm thick, of several to many unstalked flowers, terminating the stem and branches; corollas pale to deep blue, 9-12 mm long, the tube spreading to five 2-3 mm long, oblong lobes with 3 veins; stamens included within the corolla tube; calyces 8-14 mm long, sparsely glandular-hairy, the more or less equal teeth lanceolate, pointy-tipped.

Fruits:
Capsules, oblong-ellipsoid, 3-chambered; seeds 6 to 9 per chamber, becoming sticky when moistened.

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

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Gilia squarrosa (Eschsch.) Hook. & Arn.