Leaf blades broadly lanceolate to elliptic or ovate, 1.5–4.5 cm, length usually less than 5 times width. Inflorescences dense ra­cemes. Flowers: petals lavender to purple or purplish red, often with darker spot near tip, 10–25 mm; stigma exserted beyond anthers. 2n = 52.

Flowering Apr–Jun. Grasslands, often in moist conditions; 0–100 m; Calif., Oreg.

Subspecies purpurea is widely distributed but uncommon in California and southern Oregon.

Collections matching the original description and illustration are rare, probably because the grassland habitat in and around the Central Valley where it grew is very desirable for development and, therefore, much altered. Intermediates with the two other subspecies are now more frequent than the typical subspecies.