Authors: Greene
Spraguea umbellata). Rosette leaves spathulate, up to 7cm long, those on the stems small, generally very few but sometimes several or more of reduced size. Flowering stems prostrate to ascending, 10-20cm long, sometimes more. Flowers in loose to dense umbellate cymes, four-petalled and sepalled, up to 1cm across, pink or white, summer. British Columbia to California and Rocky Mountains, in sandy and gravelly soils usually in open forest at 750-3300m C.u. var. caudiciferum has a much branched woody caudex with persistent dead leaves. Living leaves only 5-10mm long and flowering stems no more than 12mm with 1cm wide flower clusters; at alpine levels in fellfields (also in Wyoming) at 3300-3950m. Fully perennial, whereas C. umbellata itself can behave as an annual or short-lived perennial. [Pl.83]
