Mat-forming perennial from a loosely-branched, woody caudex. Flowering stems erect to ascending, tomentose, 10–35 cm. Leaves basal, long-petiolate, the blade 5–25 mm long, ovate to orbicular, tomentose. Inflorescence umbellate to loosely capitate cymes; bracts scale-like; involucres tomentose, 3–4 mm long with 5 erect lobes. Flowers 2–3 mm long, white to rose, cup-shaped; tepals glabrous, the outer broader than the inner; stamens not exserted. Achenes 3–4 mm long (
Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).
Our plants are variety proliferum (Torr. & A. Gray) C.L. Hitchc.
Sandy or gravelly soil of sagebrush steppe, grasslands, open forest; valleys, montane (
Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).
POLLINATORS The following animal species have been reported as pollinators of this plant species or its genus where their geographic ranges overlap:
Bombus bifarius,
Bombus centralis,
Bombus flavifrons,
Bombus huntii,
Bombus melanopygus,
Bombus mixtus,
Bombus ternarius,
Bombus occidentalis,
Bombus insularis, and
Bombus flavidus (Thorp et al. 1983, Koch et al. 2012, Williams et al. 2014).