General:
Annual herb from a taproot; stems decumbent to erect, solitary, freely branching, the branches spirally twisted, glabrous, covered with wartlike projections, 3-20 cm tall/long.

Leaves:
Stem leaves alternate, narrowly spoon-shaped, bases papery-margined, entire, unstalked, 3-12 mm long, softly spine-tipped, glabrous.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of solitary flowers in the upper leaf axils, subtended by pairs of spinelike papery, whitish bractlets; calyces deeply 5-lobed, the papery sepals erect, or nearly so; bractlets equalling the perianth.

Fruits:
Papery, thin, membranous envelopes; seeds 1-1.5 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