Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across Canada to the Great Lakes region and northeastern North America.

Habitat: Exposed rocky bluffs, but also in peat bogs.

Flowers: May-July

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Low, spreading shrub, up to 1.5 dm. tall, the somewhat woolly branches up to 3 dm. long.

Leaves nearly round in cross section, partly in whorls of 4 and partly alternate, glandular-puberulent, 4-8 mm. long, the margins revolute, the lower surface grooved.

Flowers axillary, perfect to imperfect (monoecious or dioecious), 3 mm. long, subtended by 3 chaffy bracts, smaller but similar to the 6 sepals; inner 3 sepals brownish-purple, petal-like; petals none; perfect and staminate flowers with 3 stamens; pistil 1, the stigma peltate, with 6-9 short lobes.

Fruit drupe-like, globular, purplish-black, 4-5 mm. long.