Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest and in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast; also in South America.

Habitat: Dry, open places at low to middle elevations.

Flowers: April-June

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Annual

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Annual, 5-30 cm. tall, the herbage white-woolly.

Leaves all basal, 3-13 cm. long and 1-7 mm. wide, oblanceolate to linear, tapering to a petiole and to an acute tip.

Inflorescence a dense, cylindric, bracteate, woolly spike, 1.5-10 cm. long and well under1 cm. wide; bracts firm, linear, 5 mm. long, usually not exerted; calyx 4-lobed; corolla lobes 4, spreading, 1.5-2 mm. long; stamens 4; ovary superior, 2-celled.

Capsule