Origin:

Herbarium search: CPNWH

Notes: FNA5: "Minuartia elegans is a part of the M. rossii complex (S. J. Wolf et al. 1979), and is an amphi-Beringian species. The plants are tufted and are known in the flora area only from northwestern Canada and Alaska. Reports from the Pacific Northwest and southern Rocky Mountains likely are referable to M. austromontana."

WTU specimens from Twin Sisters and the Olympics are definitely M. elegans, which is easily distinguished from M. austromontana by the presence of petals that are of equal and slightly greater length than the sepals. M. austromontana lacks or has only rudimentary petals, and has been collected frequently in Idaho and Montana. To date, no collections from Washington are known for M. austromontana.

Last updated 4/18/2007 by Ben Legler.