more or less bushy shrub or subshrub 15-40cm tall. Glandular hairy in the inflorescence, otherwise glabrous. Leaves up to 6cm long, by two to ten times as long as wide. Flowers blue-lavender to light purple, 2.5-5cm long. Rocky open or wooded places from foothills to high elevations. From British Columbia to Oregon, Montana and Wyoming. Highly variable species but attractive and most amenable to rock garden culture. P.f. var. scouleri has leaves toothed to entire, linear oblanceolate to linear elliptic, up to 2.5cm long by 3-5mm wide. Flowers 3.5-5cm long. Washington-Idaho border to British Columbia. 'Albus' is a white form. P. f var. serratus has leaves prominently serrate or dentate, mostly 1-2.5cm long. Flowers 3-4cm long. Mts near Snake River and in the Blue Mt. region of Washington. P. f var. serratus 'Holly' forms super evergreen mounds with bright flowers. P. f var. fruticosus has leaves entire or slightly serrulate, up to 6cm long by 1.5cm wide. Flowers 3-4cm long. Throughout the range of the species not occupied by other varieties. Much more variable than other varieties. [Pl.342].
