Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains.

Habitat: Open slopes, often where moist early, from the foothills to mid-elevations in the mountains.

Flowers: June-August

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Annual

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bees, flies

Leafy, glabrous to grayish-puberulent annual, the stems diffusely branched, 5-20 cm. tall.

Leaves mostly alternate, linear, 5-30 mm. long and 1-2 mm. broad.

Inflorescence of short, terminal spikes, the floral bracts nearly as large as the cauline leaves, concealing the flowers; calyx tube 0.5 mm. long, the 4 lobes 1 mm. long, reflexed; petals 1 mm. long, white to pinkish, short-clawed; stamens 8, unequal; ovary inferior, 2-celled.

Capsule 7-15 mm. long, linear, the seeds erect in the capsule.