Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains.

Habitat: Moist forest openings at moderate elevations to rocky slopes at high elevations.

Flowers: June-August

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bumblebees, bees, flies, wasps, hummingbirds

Plants tufted from a woody rhizome, the slender stems 0.5-4 dm. tall, glabrous throughout.

Leaves opposite, entire, the basal ones petiolate, oblanceolate to elliptic, up to 10 cm. long and 1.5 cm. wide, often poorly developed; cauline leaves few, mostly sessile, often much smaller that the basal leaves.

Inflorescence of 1-several, very dense verticillasters, the flowers curved downward; calyx 1.5-6 mm. long, the 5 segments truncate to acute, the margins scarious; corolla deep blue-purple, 6-11 mm. long, the tube narrow, 2-3 mm. wide at the mouth, not strongly bilabiate, the raised part of the lower lip bearded; staminode usually bearded, sometimes glabrous; pollen sacs glabrous, sub-rotund, wholly dehiscent and opening wide enough to form a plane.

Capsules 5-8 mm. long and seeds approximately 1 mm. in length.