Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington south to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.

Habitat: Open, sandy and rocky areas in sagebrush steppe from low to middle elevations.

Flowers: April-June

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Annual

Conservation Status: Threatened in Washington (WANHP)

Annual, branches ascending and numerous, thread-like, often puberulent to glandular; stems 2-23 cm long.

Basal leaves lanceolate or linear, either toothed or round-lobed, mucronate, leaves 1-6 cm long; cauline leaves linear, entire, equal length to basal.

Inflorescence of 1-3 in bract axils; Sepals lobe tips thickened; petals 4-7 mm long, tube often 1 to 3 times greater than diameter of calyx, thread-like, color purple with a yellow throat, lobes truncate-acuminate, white adaxially, purple abaxially; styles can be exserted; stamen can be exserted.

Narrowly ellipsoid capsule, 3-5 mm long; seeds number 3 to many, yellow to brown, not gelatinous when wet.