Distribution: Chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California east to Montana; also in eastern North America.

Habitat: Wet meadows, prairies, grasslands, roadsides, and wasteland.

Flowers: June-August

Origin: Introduced from Europe

Growth Duration: Annual, Biennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Self-pollination, bees, flies

Annual, glabrous herbs, the 1-many stems simple or branched from the base, 1-5 dm. tall.

Basal leaves several, often forming a rosette, sessile, obovate or oblong-oblanceolate, 1.5-4 cm. long, rounded, 3- to 5-veined, the veins nearly parallel; cauline leaves opposite, similar to the basal, reduced, narrower and pointed upward.

Flowers many in crowded cymes, sessile, each with 2 subtending bracts; calyx 4-6 mm. long, the 5 lobes slender, acute; corolla yellowish to salmon-red, the slender tube twice the length of the calyx, the 5 lobes widely flaring, 4-6 mm. long, oblong-lanceolate; stamens attached midway in the corolla tube, slightly exerted, unequal; anthers conspicuously twisted; ovary superior.

Capsule 2-valved, slender, about 1 cm. long.