Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in northeastern Washington; Northwest Territory to northeastern Washington, east to Saskatchewan.

Habitat: Mesic to dry meadows and stream banks.

Flowers: June-July

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Sensitive in Washington (WANHP)

Pollination: Bees, flies

Tufted, perennial herbs, the stems simple, glabrous, 0.8-2 mm. wide and up to 4.3 dm. tall.

Leaves mostly basal, glabrous, narrowly linear, up to 3 dm. long.

Inflorescence borne singly, subtended by a pair of green, glabrous bracts, the outer 20-63 mm. long, 17-42 mm. longer than the inner, united at the base, the tips acute to acuminate; tepals 6, pale blue to light bluish-violet, the bases yellow, 8-9.1 mm. long, oblong, rounded, with a short bristle; stamens 3, the filaments fused to near the tip; ovary inferior.

Capsule 3-celled, beige to light brown, globose, 3-5 mm. long.

The extremely long bracts are unique to this species.