Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, east to South Dakota.

Habitat: Dry, open slopes, low to middle elevations.

Flowers: May-June

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Annual

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bumblebees, bees, flies, beetles, moths, wasps

Annual, the stem 1-5 dm. tall, simple or freely-branched, covered with fine, appressed hairs.

Leaves alternate, sessile, linear-lanceolate to spatulate, entire to denticulate, 2-7 cm. long and 2-10 mm. broad.

Flower in a few short racemes, slightly irregular; buds nodding, calyx tube 1-3 mm. long, the 4 lobes fused and turned to one side; petals lavender to rose-purple, 3-lobed, the middle lobe the widest, the base narrowed to a slender claw with a pair of opposite, blunt teeth near the base; fertile stamens 4, vestigial stamens 4; style 4-parted, stigmas 4, oval-oblong, 1-3 mm. long, white; ovary inferior, 4-celled.

Capsule 4-celled, 2 cm. long, straight or curved.