Scapose, glabrous perennials from slender bulbs. Scape erect, 7–30 cm, ebracteate. Leaves 2, basal, short-petiolate; the blade 5–20 cm long, narrowly elliptic, fleshy. Inflorescence solitary or few terminal, nodding flowers. Flowers regular, narrowly campanulate, opening to star-shaped in full sun; tepals yellow, rarely white, separate, narrowly lanceolate, 15–40 mm long, reflexed during the day; stamens shorter than tepals; anthers yellow or red; stigma capitate or 3-lobed. Fruit an erect, oblong-ovoid, 3-lobed, many-seeded capsule 25–50 long (
Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).
We have varieties
grandiflorum and
candidum (Piper) Abrams.
Mostly montane to subapline.
POLLINATORS The following animal species have been reported as pollinators of this plant species or its genus where their geographic ranges overlap:
Bombus vagans,
Bombus ternarius, and
Bombus impatiens (Colla and Dumesh 2010).