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

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