Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest and east in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.

Habitat: Balds, prairies, and headlands in gravelly, sandy or heavy, dry or moist soil at low elevations.

Flowers: June-September

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Annual

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bees, flies

Erect to rounded annual, the stems simple or freely-branched, up to 5 dm. tall, the branches wiry, sharply angled above.

Leaves alternate, basally jointed, linear to narrowly oblong-oblanceolate, 1-3 cm. long and 1-2 mm. wide; stipules sheathing, lacerate, 3-6 mm. long.

Flowers 1-4 in the axils of the upper leaves and crowded, leaf-like bracts which exceed the flowers; pedicles slender, 1-2 mm. long; the 5 perianth segments 3-4 mm. long, attached 1/3 their length, pinkish with a green midrib; stamens 8; styles 3, 0.5 mm. long.

Achene 3-angled, 3-4 mm. long, black, shining and smooth.