Plants strongly bulbose; bulb coat membranous. Stems usually branching, straight, 3–5 dm. Leaves: basal withering, 1–2 dm; blade linear. Inflorescences subumbellate, 1–3-flowered; bracts 2–5 cm. Flowers erect; perianth open, campanulate; sepals linear-lanceolate, attenuate, 2–3 cm; petals white to purplish, streaked red to purple proximal to gland, with median red-brown blotch surrounded by pale yellow zone, cuneate to obovate, 3–4 cm, with a few short hairs near gland, apex rounded; glands ± doubly lunate, not depressed, densely covered with short hairs; filaments equaling anthers; anthers oblong-linear, apex obtuse or acute. Capsules erect, linear, angled, 4–7 cm, apex acute. Seeds light beige, flat, 4–6 mm. 2n = 28.

Flowering late spring--mid summer. Heavy clay soils in mixed evergreen and pine forests; 500--900 m; Calif.