Montana Field Guide

Evergreen subshrub forming loose mats. Stems mainly prostrate with erect shoots 6–16 cm, pubescent above. Leaves basal and cauline, petiolate, exstipulate; the blades 5–10 mm long, fan-shaped, twice ternately divided into oblong lobes, often black-punctate. Inflorescence a leafy-bracted raceme. Flowers perfect, perigynous, 5-merous; hypanthium obconic; sepals triangular, ca. 2 mm long; petals white, spatulate, 2–4 mm long; stamens ca. 20; styles 5. Fruit a follicle 2–3 mm long; seeds several; style <1 mm long (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).

Often shallow soil of moist to wet, open forest, often where snow lies late; subalpine (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).