Plant: perennial herb; thickened taproot and enlarged caudex. STEMS 1 rarely more, to 1.5 m tall Leaves: forming a basal rosette, linear lanceolate to lanceolate, 15-28 cm long, 1-4 cm wide, with white, often undulating margins; cauline leaves absent or few, opposite, reduced upward to small bracts INFLORESCENCE: a scapose panicle Flowers: FLOWERS 4-merous, pedicellate, 2-4 per node; sepals 4-6 mm long, lanceolate to ovate, often white-margined; petals oblanceolate, 10-13 mm long, greenish white with dark dots, the corona a few hairs or absent, the nectar pits 5-6 mm long, the pit round or elliptic with 2 basal tubes, the orifices of the tubes fimbriate; nectar gland margins with or without hairs; pistil sessile, 8-9 mm long at anthesis Fruit: 20-25 mm long, the style persistent. SEEDS irregularly rectangular, flattened, wingless, ca 6 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, dark brown, the surface rugose Misc: Deep sandy soils; 1150-1900 m (3700-6200 ft); Jun-Jul REFERENCES: Mason, Charles T. 1998 Gentianaceae. J. Ariz. - Nev. Acad. Sci. 30(2): 84.