Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, east to Saskatchewan and Wyoming.

Habitat: Often in deep, fine soils in shady forest, also in cliffs and other rocky sites in open woods and thickets, at moderate to high elevations in the mountains.

Flowers: May-July

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bumblebees, bees, flies

Soft-hairy or sparsely woolly perennials with creeping or climbing, slender stems; plants scarcely viny in var. dissecta, found in the Wenatchee Mountains of Washington.

Leaves opposite, ternate, firm but not succulent, the leaflets lance-ovate to triangular or sub-orbicular, lobed or unlobed, the margins entire or toothed.

Flowers solitary, terminal on short axillary branches on naked peduncles 5-15 cm. long; sepals usually 4, ovate-lanceolate to elliptic-oblong, acuminate, 3.5-6 cm. long, violet-blue to pale blue; petals none; stamens numerous, the outer ones often sterile; styles 3-6 cm. long, plumose, persistent.

Achenes short-pubescent.