Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest and east in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; Washington to California.
Habitat: Grassy meadows, rocky prairies and sagebrush slopes.
Flowers: May-June
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Pollination: Bumblebees, bees, flies, beetles
Scapose perennial from a scaly, deep-seated corm.
Leaves 2-3, flattened but keeled on the lower side, 3-10 mm. broad and up to 6 dm. long, not withering by flowering; scape 4-7 dm. tall.
Flowers numerous in a sub-capitate raceme, the pedicels 1-2 mm. long on the marginal flowers, up to 6 mm. long in the center of the cluster; involucre bluish-purple, the 3-5 bracts 1-2 cm. long; tepals 6, lavender to bluish-purple, 2 cm. long, united about their length, oblong, spreading slightly; fertile stamens 3, filaments broad, adnate almost to the anthers; staminodia 3, adnate to the anther tips, the free tip deeply bifid.
Capsule sessile.
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Dichelostemma congestum in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database
WA Flora Checklist: Dichelostemma congestum checklist entry
OregonFlora: Dichelostemma congestum information
E-Flora BC: Dichelostemma congestum atlas page
CalPhotos: Dichelostemma congestum photos