Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to Montana, Idaho, and Nevada.

Habitat: Open, rocky areas from the subalpine to alpine, often where dry in summer.

Flowers: July-September

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bumblebees, bees

Mat-forming shrubs, the flowering stems 5-30 cm. tall, glabrous or finely pubescent.

Leaves opposite, 4-ranked, sessile, oppressed, scale-like, 2-5 mm. long, ovate-lanceolate, rounded on the back.

Flowers several near the branch tips, 5-8 mm. long; pedicels 5-30 mm. long, glabrous or puberulent; sepals nearly distinct, 5-lobed, ovate, reddish; corolla white, bell-shaped, the 5 lobes ovate, much shorter than the tube; stamens 10, included; anthers globose, with recurved awns from the back, opening by false terminal pores; ovary superior.

Fruit a 5-celled, globose capsule.