E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

General:
Perennial from a thickened rhizome, without stolons, plants up to 25 cm tall; stems lacking.

Leaves:
Basal leaves heart-shaped to triangular, toothed, smooth or nearly so, the blades 3.5-7 cm long, 3-5 cm wide, the stalks 5-25 cm long; stem leaves lacking; stipules linear-lanceolate, entire.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of single, axillary flowers; petals 5, bluish-violet, the lower petal 10-20 mm long including the 2- to 3-mm long pouched spur, the lower 3 bearded and more or less whitish at the base, the lateral pair sometimes not bearded; sepals 5, lanceolate; style heads smooth.

Fruits:
Capsules, smooth, 8-10 mm long; seeds brown.

Notes:
Two varieties occur in BC

1. All petals bearded................... var. cognata (Greene) C.L. Hitchc.

1. Only the lower three petals bearded........................ var. nephrophylla