Herbage densely hairy. Stems erect to ascending. Flowers bell- to urn-shaped; sepals accrescent, ovate, 4-9 mm, abaxially and adaxially densely villous; petals obovate, 4.5-8.5 mm, apex rounded (without marginal hairs basally); filaments 2-4.5 mm; anthers 0.4-1 mm, usually dehiscing introrsely; style 1.5-3 mm. Nutlets 1-3, tubercles (as long as wide) awl-shaped.

Flowering Mar-May. Moist meadows, vernal pools; 0-600 m; Calif., Oreg.

The distribution of subsp. floccosa overlaps those of all the other subspecies. The densely hairy leaves and sepals distinguish it from the glabrous or sparsely hairy subspp. bellingeriana, grandiflora, and pumila. Nutlets with relatively long and narrow tubercles rather than relatively short, conic ones separate subsp. floccosa from subsp. californica.