Stems very short, 2.5-10 mm. Leaves 2(-3), subsessile; blade rarely mottled with purple, oblong-elliptic, 8-14 × 2.5-5 cm. Flowers 1-5; outer tepals yellowish green with purple lines, lanceolate to oblanceolate, 6.5-10 mm; inner tepals linear-spatulate, 6-9 × 0.3 mm; filaments 2-4 mm; anthers 1.9-2.3 mm; style 2-2.5 mm; stigmas spreading to recurved; pedicel very slender, elongating to 6-10 cm. Capsules 16-18.5 × 5.5-7.5 mm, including beak. 2n = 14. Flowering late winter--early spring. Coniferous woods, mossy mountain stream banks; 0--800 m; Oreg.