Plants 10-55(-85) cm. Stems sparsely branched distally (central stem dominant); gla-brous. Leaves: stipules (scarious) 0.5-1 mm; petiole 0.8-2 cm; leaflet blade linear-elliptic, 1.5-4.5 × 0.2-0.7 cm, thin, margins entire, apex acute, surfaces glabrous. Inflorescences racemes, terminating stems and branches, 1-15 cm (2-20 cm in fruit); bracts unifoliate, 5-25 mm. Pedicels ascending in fruit, 5-10 mm (6-12 mm in fruit). Flowers: sepals green, lanceolate, 0.9-2.2 × 0.5-0.7 mm, glabrous; petals yellow or orange, oblong, 3.5-5(-7) × 1.4-1.6(-2) mm, hairy abaxially; stamens yellow, 8-12 mm; anthers 1.5-1.9 mm; gynophore ascending, 6-10 mm in fruit; ovary rhomboidal, 1-1.5 mm; style 0.8-1.2 mm. Capsules ovoid to rhomboidal, 2.5-5 × 2.5-6(-8) mm, glabrous. Seeds 2-4, silver-gray with black mottling, globose, 2-2.2 mm, smooth. Flowering mid spring-fall. Wet alkaline meadows, greasewood flats, around thermal springs; 800-1400 m; Calif., Idaho, Nev., Oreg., Utah.