Montana Field Guide

Glabrous, acaulescent perennial with a thick rhizome. Scapes ascending, 10–30 cm, just surpassing the leaves. Leaves: petioles 5–30 cm, basally swollen and sheathing; blades trifoliolate, leaflets elliptic to oblong, entire, 3–10 cm long. Inflorescence a bracteate raceme, 3–10 cm long. Flowers perfect, regular, 5-merous; sepals 4–7 mm long, united basally; corolla white, salverform, the tube 4–7 mm long, lobes lanceolate, 6–12 mm long, fimbriate ventrally; anthers purple, exserted; ovary ca. 1/3 inferior; style 1; stigma 2-lobed. Fruit an ovoid capsule 6–10 mm long with numerous seeds (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).

Fens and wet, peaty soil of marshes, swamps, often with sedges and Sphagnum moss; valleys to lower subalpine (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).