General: Perennial herb from a slender rhizome; mat-forming; stems decumbent to ascending, several, branched above, 5-25 cm tall/long, glabrous.
Leaves: Stem leaves alternate, linear to linear-lanceolate, succulent, rounded in cross section, not strongly keeled, strongly pointed, finely pimply to smooth, upper leaves deciduous by flowering time, lower leaves crowded to form basal rosettes, often reddish-green, sometimes covered with a white waxy powder, turning golden in autumn.
Flowers: Inflorescence of terminal, umbrella-shaped clusters; petals 5, yellow but sometimes reddish-tinged; stamens shorter than the petals.
Fruits: Follicles, erect, fused at the base.
Notes: Two varieties occur in BC:
1. Leaves usually smooth, closely tufted and overlapping on the flowering stems................... var. nesioticum (G.N. Jones) C. L. Hitchc.
1. Leaves usually finely pimply, usually not overlapping on the flowering stems.................. var. lanceolatum
Mesic to dry coastal bluffs, rocky slopes, rock outcrops and talus slopes in all zones except the alpine zone; var. lanceolatum - common throughout BC, var. nesioticum - infrequent; absent from the Queen Charlotte Islands and adjacent coast; N to YT, E to S SK, and S to NE, CO, NM and CA.
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)
