Bulb ellipsoid, 26-56 × 17-31 mm, sometimes with blackish, fibrous tunic. Leaves (28-)35-41(-53) cm × 7-14 mm, mature plants with blackish, shriveled foliage persisting at base of scape; blade glaucous-green, aging to light green. Scape 40-89 cm, often with 1-3 ascending branches, 3-5 mm thick at base. Inflorescences: terminal raceme (5-)14-27(-40) cm; flowers (24-)44-51(-78) per 10 cm of raceme. Seeds dark gray-green to black, 4-6 mm. 2n = 52.

Flowering Jun--Jul, fruiting late Jul--Sep. Serpentine, granite, and diorite sites, open rocky seepage areas with year-round water supply, bogs, wet meadows; 500--2300 m; Calif., Oreg.

At high elevations, Hastingsia alba is often stunted and has smaller bulbs, shorter scapes with shorter and narrower leaves, and spreading-rotate tepal tips.