Distribution: Widely distributed on both sides of the Cascades in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Sea-level to alpine in forest understory, forest edge; balds, and rocky openings.
Flowers: April-June
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Glabrous, evergreen shrub 2-6 dm. tall.
Leaves opposite, leathery, glossy, oblong-lanceolate to oblanceolate, serrate, 1-3 cm. long.
Inflorescence of few-flowered, axillary cymes; flowers 3-4 mm. broad; sepals 4; petals 4, maroon; stamens 4, borne at the outer edge of a flattened disk, the ovary sunken in the disk, 2-celled; filaments equaling the anthers; style and stigma 1.
Capsule 3-4 mm. long, 1- or 2-seeded.
Publication: Sylva Tellur. 42. 1838.
Myginda myrtifolia Nutt.
Oreophila myrtifolia (Nutt.) Torr. & A. Gray
Pachistima myrsinites Raf., orthographic variant [HC]
Paxistima myrsinites (Pursh) Raf. ssp. mexicana Navaro & W.H. Blackwell
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Paxistima myrsinites in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database
WA Flora Checklist: Paxistima myrsinites checklist entry
OregonFlora: Paxistima myrsinites information
E-Flora BC: Paxistima myrsinites atlas page
CalPhotos: Paxistima myrsinites photos
