Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Santa Cruz County, California, east to Montana and Colorado.

Habitat: Moist to rather dry and rocky, open coniferous forests.

Flowers: April-July

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Perennial herbs 0.5-2 dm. tall, the stem with long, soft hairs and a sheathing bract near the ground.

A pair of leaves about midway on the stem, sessile, broadly-elliptic to elliptic-oval, 4-8 cm. broad, rounded; 1-2 lanceolate bracts near the inflorescence.

Flowers terminal, 2-4 in a tight cluster, subtended by conspicuous, greenish bracts; sepals 3, the lower pair fused completely below the lip, lanceolate-acuminate, 12-25 mm. long, greenish-brown or greenish-purple, usually mottled; the 2 small petals similar to the sepals, spreading, the third petal (lip) pouch-like, greenish-yellow with brownish-purple margins; fertile stamens 2, a third stamen sterile and petal-like, 2.5-3 mm. long.

Capsule.