Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in north-central Washington; Yukon Territory to Washington, east to the Rocky Mountains, northern Great Plains, Great Lakes region, and northeastern North America.

Habitat: Moist meadows, stream banks, and for openings at low to middle elevations.

Flowers: May-July

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Threatened in Washington (WANHP)

Pollination: Bees, flies

Perennial clump-forming herbs, green, turning brownish or bronze when dry, to 50 cm, not glaucous, inconspicuously rhizomatous; stems unbranched, distinctly 2-winged, 2-3.7 mm wide, glabrous, margins denticulate apically in western populations.

Leaves 2-6; blade plane, sword-shaped with sharp edges and pointed apex, typically glabrous, bases not persistent forming fibrous tufts.

Inflorescences fan-shaped, terminal, borne singly, 1-11 flowered; spathes 2, green or bronze, uncommonly with purplish margins, glabrous, keels generally serrated; outer spathe 36-76 mm, slightly constricted below apex, margins connate basally 2-5.7 mm; inner spathe with keel somewhat gibbous basally, curving near base, margins translucent and 0.1-0.3 mm broad, apex acuminate to acute, ending 0.9-4.3 mm proximal to recurved green apex; tepals bluish violet with yellow bases, spreading to reflexed; outer tepals 9-14.5 mm, apex emarginate to rounded and slightly notched, bristle-tipped; filaments connate, tapering to apex, with basal stalked glands; anthers encircling but not appressed to style branches; styles 3, erect, connate basally at minimum, threadlike, extending outward through stamens typically past anthers; ovary color similar to foliage.

Capsules globose to obovoid, tan to darker brown, sometimes with purplish tinge toward apex, 4-6.8 mm; seeds globose to obconic, distinct depression absent, black-coated, finely wrinkled, 0.9-1.5 mm.