Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains.
Habitat: Grasslands and sagebrush desert to ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir forest openings.
Flowers: April-June
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Pollination: Apomixis, bumblebees, bees, flies
Glandular-pubescent, reddish-purple perennial from slender rhizomes bearing numerous rice-grain bulblets, the stems 5-25 cm. tall.
Leaves mostly basal, with petioles 1-2.5 cm. long, the blades orbicular-reniform, 1-2 cm. broad, usually cleft to the base into 5 wedge-shaped segments, which usually have 3 rounded teeth; cauline leaves sub-sessile, similar but smaller, often with reddish-purple bulblets in their axils.
Inflorescence congested at the tip of the stem to more elongate and racemose; calyx cup-shaped, 2.5-4 mm. long, the lobes triangular, 1 mm. or less long; petals pale pink to purplish-pink, with a short claw and obovate blade up to 8 mm. long, usually 5-cleft and the segments toothed.
Ovary about 1/3 inferior; carpels 3, with short beaks; seeds covered with minute spines.
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Lithophragma glabrum in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database
WA Flora Checklist: Lithophragma glabrum checklist entry
OregonFlora: Lithophragma glabrum information
E-Flora BC: Lithophragma glabrum atlas page
CalPhotos: Lithophragma glabrum photos