Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, also in the Great Lakes region.

Habitat: Cliffs, talus and ridges, subalpine to alpine, generally where moist in early summer.

Flowers: June-August

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Glabrous and somewhat glaucous perennial from a thick root and short, fleshy rhizomes, the stems clustered, erect, 3-15 cm. tall.

Leaves alternate, all cauline, persistent, closely crowded and many times as long as the internode, usually oblanceolate or obovate, flattened but fleshy, 7-20 mm. long and up to 1 cm. broad, entire to serrulate.

Flowers crowded in small, head-like cymes, purple to greenish-purple, mostly imperfect and the plants dioecious; sepals 5, oblong-lanceolate, 1-2 mm. long; petals 5, distinct, fleshy, oblong, 2-3 mm. long; stamens 10, equaling the petals, lacking in the pistillate flowers.

Carpels 5, erect, distinct, the styles very short, divergent.