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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
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