General:
Perennial herb from a short, branched, underground stem-base, smooth throughout; stems usually several, clumped, ascending to erect, 10-30 cm tall, stout.

Leaves:
Thick and firm, glaucous, entire; basal leaves stalked, tufted, broadly lanceolate, 3-10 cm long; stem leaves opposite, lanceolate to egg-shaped, unstalked, shorter than basal leaves.

Flowers:
Inflorescence a terminal bracted cluster, compact and spike-like or interrupted below, of several dense whorls of stalked flowers, the bracts large, leaflike, abruptly long-pointed; corollas tubular, 1.3-1.8 cm long, bright blue, rarely pinkish or purplish, 2-lipped, smooth on the outside and the inside; calyces 3-6 mm long, 5-lobed, the lobes lanceolate, entire; fertile stamens 4, the anthers smooth; sterile stamen shortly exserted, prominently yellow-bearded for 2-4 mm toward its expanded tip.

Fruits:
Capsules, 9-12 mm long; seeds about 3 mm long.

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