Stems 5-30 cm, glabrous. Leaves: basal blades erect to somewhat spreading, filiform, 3-8 cm × 0.5-1 mm, herbaceous. Inflorescences capitate, often rounded, dense cymes; bracts closely enveloping sepals. Pedicels ± absent, shorter than 0.2 mm, occasionally to 2 mm, glabrous. Sepals conspic-uously 1 to weakly 3-veined, 3.5-5 mm, apex obtuse to rounded. 2n = 22.

Flowering spring-summer. Open, gravelly or sandy soil of plains, mountain slopes, and ridges; 1200-3500 m; Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., Nev., Oreg., Utah, Wash., Wyo.

Plant: Perennial, tufted, ± green; stem 8-40 cm, ± dull, often glandular-hairy

Leaves: simple, opposite, 10-80 mm, 0.5-2 mm wide, thread- to needle-like, herbaceous or ± fleshy, sharply acute to spine-tipped; vein 1

INFLORESCENCE: cyme, terminal, head- or umbel-like; flowers few-many, dense to ± open; pedicels < 7 mm

Flowers: hypanthium barely present; sepals 5, ± free, 3-6 mm, in fruit < 6.5 mm, rounded to acute; petals 5-8 mm; nectaries < 0.2 mm, rounded; stamens inserted on obscure to prominent disk; ovary ± superior, styles 3, 0.5-2 mm

Fruit: Fruit: capsule, ovoid to urn-shaped; teeth 6, ascending to recurved; Seeds 4-8, 1.4-3 mm, widely elliptic to ovate, compressed, reddish brown; tubercles low, rounded, often elongate

Misc: Dry, rocky or sandy slopes, ridges, rock crevices; 1200-3300 m.