Stemmed or stemless herbs with alternate or sometimes opposite or more frequently basal leaves; flowers perfect, racemose, cymose or paniculate; calyx 5-lobed or parted; petals 4 or 5, white, yellow or greenish or sometimes rose-coloured; stamens equal or twice the number of the petals; carpels 1—several, distinct or united.

Perennial with a slender creeping rootstock; stems 1½—6 inches high, branched above. Leaves alternate, the lower ones on petioles 1—2 inches long; blades thick, reniform, ½ an inch or less wide, crenate with 3—5 broad teeth, shining above, paler beneath, upper ones larger and more or less wedge-shaped. Flowers in small clusters in the axils of the upper leaves; sepals 4; stamens 4 opposite the sepals.

In shaded damp ground in the wooded areas through the Rockies at an elevation of 5000 to 6000 feet, where it often forms dense green carpets, the inconspicuous little flowers coming into blossom in June.

Stems 4—12 inches high, slightly glandular-hairy, from a slender creeping rootstock with rosy bulblets. Leaves palmately divided to the base into 3—5 divisions, ½—1 inch long, twice ternately cleft into oblong or linear divisions; lower ones on petioles 1—2 inches long; stem leaves 1 or 2 similar, sessile. Flowers 3—8 in a slender raceme, base of the calyx and sepals ⅛ of an inch long; petals pure white, deeply 3—5 cut into narrowly oblong divisions.

On grassy slopes and gravelly places throughout the Rockies; flowering in June.

Flowering branches 1—2 feet high, with long rough hairs, glandular above. Leaves reniform or cordate, sparingly rough-hairy, round lobed, and toothed with broadly ovate teeth; 1½—4 inches broad on hairy petioles 4—8 inches long; stem leaves short-petioled with well developed stipules. Flowers numerous in an elongated raceme; sepals ovate ¼ of an inch long; petals white, purplish or pink with a pinnately cut blade; claws broadly wedge-shaped, ⅛ of an inch long, erect, blade spreading or reflexed with a rounded ovate body and tapering thread-like lobes.

Moist woods and crevices in the rocks, abundant in the Selkirks; flowering in June.

Perennial, from a slender branched rootstock, producing long runners in late summer; flowering branches scape-like, naked, or rarely with a small leaf, 2—8 inches high, sparingly hairy. Leaves reniform ¾—2 inches in diameter, rounded, crenate or lobed, on petioles 1—3 inches long. Flowers few, in a loose raceme, saucer-shaped; calyx about ¼ of an inch broad, greenish-yellow; petals spreading about twice as long as the sepals, greenish-yellow, pinnately divided into thread-like divisions, resembling snow crystals in form.

Common in the cool woods and shaded mossy bogs throughout the Rockies; flowering in June.

Flowering branches scape-like, 4—12 inches high, naked. Leaves broadly crenate with 9—11 more or less distinct round lobes, thin, 1—2½ inches broad on petioles, 2—4 inches long. Flowers ⅛ of an inch broad in a slender loose raceme, green or often purplish inside; sepals broadly triangular-ovate, obtuse, and recurved; petals yellowish, deeply cut into slender thread-like divisions, twice as long as the calyx; stamens 5, opposite the petals.

Throughout the region in cool woods and shaded springy spots; flowering in early June at the higher altitudes.

Flowering branches 4—8 inches high, leafless. Leaves thin, broadly reniform with many shallow rounded lobes; petioles 2—4 inches long. Flowers in a loose raceme, green, occasionally in pairs; calyx ⅛ of an inch wide; sepals obtuse and reflexed; petals deeply cut into thread-like divisions about twice as long as the sepals; stamens 5, opposite the sepals.

In damp woods throughout the region, growing with the previous species; flowering in early June.

Flowering stems slender, 4—20 inches high, smooth, 1—3-leaved. Basal leaves on petioles, 2—8 inches long, cordate, deeply 5—7-lobed, thin, shining, 1—4 inches broad and as long or slightly longer, lobes triangular-ovate, acute, doubly and sharply serrate. Flowers in a loose panicle 2—6 inches long; calyx with the turbinate base about ⅛ of an inch long, sparingly fringed with hairs; petals white, broadly spatulate, acute, about twice as long as the sepals; stamens much exserted, with scarlet and orange anthers.

On damp shaded rocks, especially abundant in the Selkirks in the vicinity of Glacier.

Flowering branches naked, densely glandular-hairy, 1—2 feet high. Leaves round-oval, ½—1½ inches broad, ¾—2 inches long, rounded, slightly heart-shaped at the base, round-lobed and crenate with bristle-tipped teeth. Flowers in a short dense raceme less than 4 inches long, the deeply campanulate, yellowish, densely hairy base of the calyx, with the broadly oblong sepals ¼ of an inch long, petals usually wanting.

On dry rocky banks and hillsides throughout the region, flowering in midsummer.

Flowering branches 6—15 inches high, 1—4-leaved. Leaves broadly cordate, coarsely 3—5-lobed with broadly ovate-acute lobes, doubly crenate with mucronate teeth; stem leaves short-petioled, basal, on petioles 2—6 inches long. Flowers in a narrow panicle; sepals whitish ovate-oblong, ¹/₁₆ of an inch long, the linear-subulate, white petals and stamens fully three times as long; carpels oblong acute, nearly half an inch long in fruit.

Abundant in damp rich woods throughout the region oftentimes carpeting the ground; flowering in June.

Light yellowish-green; stems 8—10 inches high from a rosy-bulbous rootstock. Leaves ternately divided to the base, the middle division broadly wedge-shaped, ½—1 inch long, rounded, 3-lobed, the lateral ones oblique and 4-lobed; basal, on petioles 2—4 inches long, stem leaves on short petioles dilated at the base, the uppermost sessile, merely 3-lobed at the apex. Flowers showy in a short dense corymb; the base of the calyx and sepals yellowish-green about ⅛ of an inch long; petals white or yellowish, broadly spatulate, ¼ of an inch long; stamens 5, opposite the sepals, filaments and carpels more or less rosy in colour.

On wet rocky slopes in the Selkirks at Glacier, not common; flowering in June.

Stems 1—3½ inches tall, tufted, smooth or finely glandular-hairy. Leaves reniform in outline, ⅛—½ an inch broad, thick, mainly 3-lobed, those of the stem sometimes entire, short petioled or sessile; basal leaves on slender petioles an inch or more long. Flowers small, base of the calyx and sepals ⅛ of an inch long; petals oblong, or broadly wedge-shaped, white, slightly larger than the sepals.

An inconspicuous little plant growing on wet rocks and beside alpine brooks at high altitudes throughout the region; flowering during midsummer.

Stems 3—8 inches tall, leafy, somewhat glandular-hairy, growing in groups. Leaves reniform in outline ⅓—1 inch wide; the basal and lower stem-leaves long-petioled prominently, 3—7 lobed, the lobes linear to triangular-lanceolate; the upper stem leaves, 3—5-lobed. Flowers represented by clusters of rosy bulblets, except a single terminal one with the base of the calyx and sepals ¼ of an inch long, and wedge-shaped, the clawless white petals nearly half an inch long.

A rather striking alpine plant growing on wet rocks at Lake Louise and Moraine Lake; flowering in midsummer.

Somewhat glandular-hairy, 1—4 inches tall. Leaves ⅛—¼ of an inch long, mainly wedge-shaped or spatulate, 3-toothed or those of the stem entire. Flower-stalks sparingly branched above or throughout; sepals ovate or oblong-ovate ¹/₁₆—⅛ of an inch long, acute or obtuse; petals white, wedge-shaped to oblong wedge-shaped, a third longer than the sepals, the claws slender or stout.

An alpine species with rosettes of basal leaves, not infrequent throughout the Rockies, along streams, and on shaded rocks; flowering in midsummer.

Glandular-hairy, 2—6 inches tall. Leaves crowded at the base, sometimes densely so; blades ¼—¾ of an inch long, 3-lobed at the apex, the lobes lanceolate or linear. Flower-stalks stout, 3-few-flowered, each bearing 2—3 leaves, base of the calyx ⅛ to ³/₁₆ of an inch high, turbinate at the base, sepals ovate to ovate-lanceolate, ¹/₁₆—⅛ of an inch long; petals white, narrowly obovate or oblong-ovate, ¼ of an inch or more long, rounded at the apex.

An alpine species growing on moist, shaded rocks throughout the Rockies, frequent, often forming tufts of considerable size; flowering in June.

Leaves forming a rosette, spreading or ascending ¾—2 inches long, ovoid or rhombic-ovoid, obtuse, crenulate or dentate-serrate, nearly smooth except the ciliate margins, mainly green, sometimes purplish beneath, abruptly or gradually narrowed into petiole-like bases, which are occasionally larger than the blades. Flowers in a compact terminal head on a copiously glandular, naked scape 3—10 inches high; sepals ovate to triangular ¹/₁₆—⅛ of an inch long barely if at all ciliate, 3-veined; petals white, obovate or oblong-ovate, twice as long as the sepals, notched at the apex, seed pods green or purplish, the points spreading.

A frequent alpine plant in the more or less moist, shaded situations throughout the Rockies; flowering in July.

Leaves erect or ascending ½—2½ inches long, fan-shaped varying to suborbicular, typically wedge-shaped at the base, coarsely few-toothed above with the teeth mainly directed forward, smooth or nearly so, the petiole-like bases often longer than the blades. Flowering stems 3—24 inches tall, smooth or nearly so, sparingly branched above, commonly purple, few-flowered; petals white with 2 yellow blotches below the middle, broadly oblong or suborbicular, often slightly notched at the apex, twice as long as the sepals, often tinged and streaked with red on the outside; seed pods nearly ½ an inch high, purple or purple-tinged, usually 3 or 4 together, with pointed beaks.

An alpine form frequent throughout the region in damp, shady, or open places and along the borders of mountain streams; a rather striking plant, flowering in July.

Leaves erect or ascending, 1—5 inches long, suborbicular or reniform, ¾—1¾ inches in diameter, deeply cordate at the base, usually sparingly hairy on both sides, coarsely few-toothed with crenate, gland-tipped teeth. Flower-stem erect, 1½—7 inches tall, glandular-villous, especially above, terminating in a compact head usually with purple or purplish bracts; sepals ovate or oblong-ovate ⅙—⅛ of an inch long, ciliate; petals white, broadly oblong to ovate, twice as long as the sepals.

A rather rare though very beautiful alpine flower found throughout the region in moist places and along alpine brooks; flowering in June.

Copiously glandular-hairy, 4—15 inches tall. Leaves crowded on the short rootstock, spatulate to oblanceolate-spatulate, 1—3 inches long, sharply and sometimes broadly toothed, mostly above the middle. Flower-stems solitary or several together, widely branching, bracts much smaller than the leaves; flowers terminating the stem, branches, and branchlets, but on many of the ultimate branchlets represented by clusters of green bulblets; sepals oblong-ovate to triangular-ovate, ⅙ of an inch or less long, purple, reflexed; petals white, ¼ of an inch long or less, the three upper with lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate blades; two lower with elliptic or spatulate-elliptic blades; seed pods ¼ of an inch long with diverging tips. The commonest form in the Selkirks, everywhere along streams and banks.

Caudex horizontal or ascending, clothed with folded leaf bases. Leaves leathery, oblong, or sometimes slightly broadest above or below the middle, 1½—3½ inches long, obtuse, serrate or crenate-serrate, deep green and lustrous above, paler beneath, narrowed into winged petiole-like bases. Flower-stalks 4—18 inches high, bearing 1 or 2 clasping leaves; flowers small and inconspicuous, at first congested in a compact head, becoming separated; sepals ovate, about as long as the base of the calyx, each with a terminal gland and usually some lateral glands; petals narrowly spatulate, white, ⅛ of an inch long; seed pods ¼ of an inch long with slightly spreading tips; purplish.

Along alpine streams and in damp shaded places, rather abundant throughout the region at the higher altitudes; flowering in June.

Stems decumbent. Leaves ⅛—½ of an inch long, the blades very thick, flattish, smooth, ciliate on the margins, spine-tipped. Flowers 1—several on stalks, 1½—3 inches tall, finely glandular-hairy, leafy, bearing larger leaves than the decumbent stems; sepals ovate to oblong-ovate, ⅛ of an inch long, smooth, more or less eroded at the apex; petals deep yellow, oblong, much longer than the calyx; seed pods ¼ of an inch or more long.

A common species throughout the Rockies, forming mats on the wet gravel and sand of the shores and flood-plains of the rivers and torrent fans at the bases of the moraines; flowering throughout June and July.

Leaves of the caudices ½ an inch or less long, stiff and crowded, but more or less spreading, the blades narrowly lanceolate to subulate, ciliate, slender, spine-tipped. Flower-stalks 1½—6 inches tall, nearly smooth or finely glandular-hairy, bearing several leaves which are smaller than those of the caudices; sepals ovate, sometimes rather narrowly so, ⅛ of an inch long, smooth or sparingly ciliate, obtuse; petals white, usually yellow-spotted, oblong to oblong-lanceolate, ¼ of an inch or more long, filaments slender; seed pods often nearly ½ an inch long.

Common everywhere throughout the Rockies at the lower altitudes on bare rocks and stony slopes, frequently forming mats a foot or more across; flowering in June.

Plants in dense mats, leaves densely folded together except on the flower-stalks and sometimes on the elongated stems, 4-ranked, the blades obovate to spatulate, ¼ of an inch long, ciliate, keeled. Flower-stalks ½—1 inch long or sometimes shorter when young, leafy; sepals oblong to ovate, ⅛ of an inch long, ciliate all around; petals lilac or purple, elliptic or oval, showy, ⅓ of an inch long, each narrowed into a stout claw.

Usually a high alpine species and not infrequently forming mats of considerable size; throughout the region, flowering in July.