Phlox muscoides

Squarestem phlox, Squarestem Phlox

Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3

Squarestem phlox is a rare (CNPS 2B.3) California native perennial found in the Loomis Peak area of the northern Sierra Nevada in open, rocky areas at elevations of 1,400 to 2,700 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces white to lilac flowers with delicate petals nestled within its dense, tightly cushion-like form. Growing in compact clusters with stems completely hidden by overlapping leaves, it forms a low, intricate mat of vegetation typically 3 to 5 centimeters tall. Its leaves are densely covered in long, woolly hairs, arranged in a precise four-ranked pattern that completely obscures the underlying stem structure. Each flower emerges sessile within this compact cushion, with a hairy calyx approximately 5 millimeters long.

Habitat: Open, rocky areas

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: 1400-2700 m

Bioregions: CaRH (Loomis Peak)

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.