Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains, east across Canada to the northeastern North America.

Habitat: Subalpine to alpine meadows, ridges and talus slopes

Flowers: June - August

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Annual, Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bees, flies, wasps

Mostly glandular-pubescent, tufted perennial from a slender taproot and branched crown, the numerous, short, prostrate stems forming small cushions; flowering stems 1-10 cm. tall, slender, simple or branched.

Leaves mostly basal, over-lapping, linear, 3-nerved, 3-10 mm. long; cauline leaves consisting of a few pairs.

Flowers 2-7 in an open, leafy-bracteate inflorescence; sepals 5, 3-4 mm. long, 3-nerved, pointed, scarious-margined; petals 5, white, about equal to the sepals; stamens 10, borne on a disc surrounding the ovary; styles 3.

Capsule longer than the sepals, narrowly ovoid, opening by 3 valves.