Authors:
Mat-forming to 20cm or more wide and 8-15cm tall in bloom. Leaves linear, 1.5-2.5cm long. Flowers solitary, to 1.7cm across, lilac to pink or white, spring to early summer. Rocky Mountains on gravelly slopes amongst low scrub and grasses. P.m. patula, syn. P. patula is a little taller, with leaves up to 4.5cm long and lilac to pink flowers in clusters of one to three. P.m. depressa is more compact, forming low cushions, 4-8cm high, bearing solitary, fragrant, pink to white flowers about 1.6cm wide.
Locklear (2012) does not recognise any subspecies considering the variation to be caused by the environments of the different forms.
