Steer's-head

Plants perennial, scapose, from clusters of club- to spindle-shaped tubers, small bulblets often present at proximal ends of tubers. Leaves 4-7(-10) × (1-)3-4 cm; petiole 2-5(-8) cm; blade with 3-4 orders of leaflets and lobes; surfaces pubescent near base, rarely sparsely pubescent throughout; ultimate lobes variable in shape, often oblong to spoon-shaped, (2-)6-12(-18) × 1.5-6 mm, minutely apiculate, occasionally retuse. Inflorescences 1-flowered, barely exceeding to shorter than leaves; bracts 1 (rarely 2) per scape, lanceolate, 4-6 × 2-3 mm. Flowers nodding to erect; pedicels 2-7 mm; petals pink to white, suffused light brown; outer petals (7-)12-16(-20) mm, reflexed portion (4-)6-8(-10) mm; inner petals purple-tipped, (11-)13-15(-17) mm, blade triangular to lanceolate or spoon-shaped, 4-8 mm, claw linear-oblong, 4-6 mm, crest absent; filaments of each bundle usually distinct above base, occasionally connate just below anthers, median filament forming loop with slight indentation near base; nectariferous tissue borne along basal part of loop; style 2-5 mm; stigma shallowly 2-lobed, much reduced, slightly wider than style. Capsules ovoid, attenuate to style, 9-14 × 5-9 mm. Seeds reniform, ca. 1.5 mm diam., finely and obscurely reticulate, elaiosome absent. 2 n = 16.

Flowering very early spring-late summer. Rocky slopes and hillsides in gravelly soils, often flowering near edges of melting snowbanks; 1500-2200(-3300) m; B.C.; Calif., Idaho, Mont., Nev., Oreg., Utah, Wash., Wyo.