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General:
Perennial herb from a short, stout, fleshy rhizome; flowering stems erect, 10-45 cm tall, unbranched, smooth throughout.
Leaves:
Stem leaves usually 3 in a whorl, 5-18 cm long, often as wide, broadly egg-diamond-shaped to triangular egg-shaped, smooth, unstalked or nearly so, the margins entire; basal leaves lacking.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a solitary, terminal, stalked flower, the stalk 1-8 cm long; flowers star-shaped, erect to nodding; petals 3, white turning pale pink to purple with age, sometimes pinkish initially, egg-shaped, 3-6 cm long; sepals 3, green and leaf-like, lanceolate to oblong, somewhat shorter than petals; stamens 6; pistil 1, 3-chambered.
Fruits:
Capsules, berry-like, green to yellowish, broadly egg-shaped, with wing-like ridges; seeds numerous, large, egg-shaped, in a sticky mass when first shed.
Notes:
Two varieties occur in BC:
1. Plants 20-45 cm tall; flowers opening white; the common variety........................ var. ovatum
1. Plants 10-20 cm tall; flowers opening pink; rare on western Vancouver Island..................... var. hibbersonii (Taylor & Szczawinski) Douglas & Pojar
Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
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