[oregonflora.org] Description, Habitat: Plants 10 to 50 cm.
Stems erect to ascending, usually branching throughout, strigose and ascending-hirsute.
Leaves proximal-most usually opposite, narrowly oblanceolate to oblong, 5 to 25(30) × (1)2 to 4(5) mm, midribs thickened abaxially, sunken adaxially, tips rounded to obtuse, surfaces appressed- to ascending-hirsute, pustulose.
Inflorescences cymules paired or occasionally in 3s, 5 to 10(15) cm, usually short elongated in fruit, proximal-most flowers overlapping or not; bracts absent or occasionally 1 near base; pedicels not elongating in fruit, < 0.5 mm.
Flowers spreading; calyces promptly deciduous at maturity, asymmetric, urceolate to ovoid with narrowly acute-obconic base, 1.5 to 2 mm at anthesis, 3 to 4 mm in fruit, lobes basally connate, linear to narrowly lanceolate, basally connate, midribs not appreciably thickened, hairs soft, with longer coarse but not hispid hairs, tips erect to slightly spreading, margins and abaxial surfaces with 1 hair type, usually tufted long soft-hirsute, adaxial surfaces glabrous basally, appressed short-hirsute distal end; corollas rotate, tubes 1 to 1.5 mm, limbs 2 to 6 mm in diameter; fornices white or yellow; gynobases extending to 50% and styles to 75% length of mature nutlet; bracts absent.
Fruits 1(2+), positioned away from inflorescence axis, homomorphic, lance-ovate, generally 3-sided, narrowed distally, symmetric, 1.5 to 2 mm, dark brown, bases widely truncate, margins rounded, tips narrowly acute to acuminate (beaked), surfaces smooth, shiny, abaxial surfaces low convex to basally transversely flat, spinal ridges absent, adaxial surfaces obtusely 2-planed-convex and somewhat swollen proximally, narrowed distally and appearing somewhat vertically ridged, mid-line regions angled outwardly beyond nutlet middle; attachment scars centered, edges raised, abutted entire length or slightly gapped proximally, occasionally overlapping, bifid-forked at base, areoles absent.
Gravelly or serpentine-derived soil, grasslands, chaparral, forest openings. Flowering May to Jul. 400 to 1400 m. Sisk. CA. Native. (contributed by Mary Ann Machi)
