Bill's Botanical Forays

The tiny-flowered Slender Phlox (Microsteris gracilis (Hook.) Greene) is a spring blooming ephemeral commonly found in Western North America from Mexico to Canada, with outlying populations in Illinois. There are also some populations of Slender Phlox in South American deserts. It variable in shape and size, ranging from a single stem less than in inch in height in desert communities to multi-stemmed plants up to 8 inches in height. The flowers are pink to white with pinkish tinge, and are about 0.25 across.  Each of the five petals has a 1 to 2 mm notch on the tip.

This species can form beautiful dense pink carpets under the right circumstances.

According a quote from the Intermountain Flora, seeds from the Slender Phlox were collected by David Douglas (of Douglas Fir fame) near “the banks of the Spoken (sic) River, and on high grounds near the Flathead River.”

There is a controversy brewing regarding this species.  Recent genetic studies seem to indicate that this may more properly belong to the Phlox genus instead of being the single member of the Microsteris genus.

These photos were taken at the Ryegrass Summit Eastbound Rest Area by Bill Harms