E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

General:
Perennial, slightly woody herb from a rhizome, often forming colonies; stems usually single, 5-20 cm tall.

Leaves:
Evergreen, basal and stem leaves, often crowded towards base, egg-shaped to egg-shaped elliptic, 1.5-6 cm long, 1-2.5 (3) cm wide; round- to sharp-toothed or nearly entire, blunt to rounded at base, tips usually pointed; stalks 1-2 cm long.

Flowers:
Inflorescence a crowded 4- to 20-flowered one-sided raceme, arching, flowers radially symmetric, erect in bud, drooping in flower, 5-6 mm wide; flower stalks 2-8 mm long; bracts linear-lanceolate; petals 5, distinct, somewhat closed, 4-6 mm long, greenish or white, each with 2 small tubercles on the inner surface near the base; sepals 5, 0.5-1 (1.5) mm long, with jagged margins; stamens 10; filaments slender, about equaling the petals; anthers about 1.4 mm long, with terminal pores, tubes lacking; styles 3-4 mm long, exserted, straight or nearly so; stigmas 5-lobed.

Fruits:
Capsules, depressed globe-shaped, to 5 mm wide.

Notes:
Two varieties occur in BC:

1. Racemes mostly more than 10-flowered; petals greenish yellow; leaves elliptic to egg-shaped, pointed, and lustrous .......................................... var. secunda

1. Racemes usually 4- to 10-flowered; petals creamy white; leaves circular, blunt, and hardly lustrous .......... .......................................... var. obtusata Turcz.