Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.

Habitat: Exposed rocky slopes and stream banks from middle elevations to the alpine.

Flowers: June-August

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Strongly tufted, matted perennial, the flowering stems 10-30 cm. tall, slender and terete.

Leaf bases with sheaths 1-4 cm. long, the uppermost with a slender, terete blade 3-6 cm. long; lower sheaths bladeless, or with bristle-like blades less than 1 cm. long.

Flowers 1-3, clustered but borne singly, each subtended by two brownish, ovate, membranous bractlets; involucral bract 2-4 cm. long, terete, erect, sharp-pointed, imitating the stem; outer 3 perianth segments 6-7 mm. long, lanceolate-acuminate, the inner 3 slightly shorter, acute to rounded; stamens 6.

Capsule slightly exceeding the perianth, acute.