E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Phlox diffusa Benth.
Spreading Phlox
Polemoniaceae (Phlox family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Distribution of Phlox diffusa
Click here to view our interactive map and legend

Details about map content are available here
Click on the map dots to view record details.

SUBTAXA PRESENT IN BC

Phlox diffusa ssp. longistylis

Species Information

Click on the image below to view an expanded illustration for this species.

Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

General:
Tufted perennial herb from a taproot; stems often mat-forming, 5-10 cm tall.

Leaves:
Opposite, linear, fused at the base in pairs, hairless except for the cobwebby-fringed margins towards the base, 5-20 mm long, 1-2 mm wide.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of single stalkless flowers at the ends of the stems; corollas pink to lavender or whitish, the tube 9-17 mm long, spreading flat into five wide lobes 5-9 mm long; calyces long woolly-hairy or cobwebby-hairy, the 5 teeth narrow, thickened.

Fruits:
Capsules, ellipsoid, 3-chambered; seeds usually 1 per chamber.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

USDA Species Characteristics

Flower Colour:
Purple

Blooming Period:
Late Spring

Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Brown
Present over the Summer

Source: The USDA

Habitat / Range

Mesic to dry rocky slopes, rock outcrops and open forests from the lowland to alpine zones; common in SW BC; S to N OR.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Phlox diffusa

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information	Value / Class
Site Information	Minimum	Average	Maximum
Elevation (metres)	770	1448	2250
Slope Gradient (%)	0	31	140
Aspect (degrees) [0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]	20	179	350
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric]	0	2	6
Modal Nutrient Regime Class	C
Number of field plots species was recorded in:	191
Modal BEC Zone Class	ESSF
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in:	AT(9), CMA(2), ESSF(76), IDF(31), IMA(2), MH(17), MS(6), PP(44)
Source: Klinkenberg 2020

Status Information

Origin Status	Provincial Status	BC List (Red Blue List)	COSEWIC
Native	S5	Yellow	Not Listed

BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer, the authoritative source for conservation information in British Columbia.

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Genetic information (NCBI Taxonomy Database)
International Plant Names Index
Taxonomic Information from the World Flora Online
Integrated Taxonomic Information System

Additional Range and Status Information Links

Burke Museum of Natural History (Washington State records)
CalFlora
Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria records
Jepson Interchange
NatureServe Explorer
USDA

Additional Photo Sources

Images From CalPhoto
UT Austin's Native Plant Database
Google Image Search
Flickr Image Search

General References

Google Scholar Search
Family References
General Botanical References for BC

Recommended citation: Author, Date. Page title. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2020. E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia [eflora.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Accessed: 2024-06-01 6:45:51 AM ]

Disclaimer: The information contained in the E-Flora atlas pages is derived from expert sources as cited in each section. This information is scientifically based. E-Flora also acts as a portal to other sites via deep links. As always, users should refer to the original sources for complete information. E-Flora BC is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of the original information.