Scouler's
heliotrope from the McCord Creek Trail, Columbia River Gorge..........April
1996.Scouler's heliotrope is a fibrous-rooted perennial with stems rising from 15-70 cm in height from a thick, branched rhizome. The herbage is smooth. The leaves are largely basal with a long, thin petiole and an entire, simple, elliptical blade up to 8 cm long and 4 cm wide, or pinnatifid with larger terminal leaflet and one or two pairs of smaller leaflets to 3 cm long and 1.5 cm wide found paired below the terminal leaflet. 2-4 pairs of pinnatifid leaves may be found on the stems. These have shorter petioles, or may almost be sessile, and are similar in shape and size (or shorter) to the basal leaves.
The inflorescence which is found at the tips of the stems, is compact and about 2-7 cm wide. The flowers are perfect with white or pink corollas from 5-9 mm long. The 5 petals or lobes of the corolla are less than half as long as the tube.
Scouler's heliotrope is a plant of seasonally moist woods, wet cliffs, and wet meadows from sea level to near 4000 feet.
Scouler's heliotrope may be found from southern British Columbia and southern Vancouver Island south on the west side of the Cascades to northwestern California.
