Caryophyllaceae

Silene acaulis

Moss Campion

Cushion. Stems branch from woody base into dense mound. Leaves mostly basal, crowded, persisting for many years, linear, with stiff sharp point at tip, with few hairs along edges or hairless, sessile. Flowers showy, 1 per stem; petals 5, pink, rose, pale lavender, or white, slightly toothed on rounded tip. Grows in rocky exposed sites, cliffs, rock crevices. Found in alpine areas of most mountains in the Pacific Northwest. Occasionally found on gravel bars, along shady streams, at lower elevations in the same mountains.

• Rarity: Locally Common
• Flowering Time: All Summer
• Life Cycle: Perennial
• Height: 1--2 inches
• Habitat: Alpine
• Found In: Wallowas, N Cascades Np, Mt. Rainier Np, Olympic Np
• Native: Yes