Plants loosely cespitose mats with branched caudex. Stems prostrate, loosely covered with marcescent, gray to light brown leaves (becoming remote in age). Leaves spreading, thin; blade oblong-lanceolate or oblanceolate to spatulate, 5-20 × 2-6 mm, margins entire or slightly toothed, sometimes ciliolate, hairs simple, apex obtuse to slightly acute, surfaces glabrous. Scapes 2-7 mm, elongating little in fruit, minutely hairy, hairs stellate and branched. Inflorescences 2-10-flowered, bracteate; bracts 3-8, lanceolate to ovate, 3-8 × 1-3 mm, glabrous or sparsely hairy, hairs minute, branched. Pedicels 2-15 mm. Flowers: calyx 6-7 × 3-4 mm, stellate-pubescent; corolla rose-pink, violet in age, limb 8-15 mm diam., lobes 3-4 × 2-3 mm, margins entire or erose.

Flowering early summer. Rocky areas; 30-2000 m; B.C.; Oreg., Wash.