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Botanical Description

Rather variable but dense shrublet, branching from the base, each silvery stem shortly horizontal, then erect 10-20cm high. Leaves lanceolate, l-3cm long, rigid and sharply pointed, usually minutely downy. Inflorescence pyramidal to head-like, many flowered, to 5cm long. Corolla tubes 6-8mm long bearing shallowly rounded sepals alternating with spreading spine-tipped outgrowths. Petals variable in size but not more than 3-4 by 1mm, brilliant dark pink, spring to summer. Chile, Santiago to Atacama provinces on hot, rocky sandy slopes at 1600-2400m. P.p. var. imbricata has flower spikes 4-8cm long, more oblong-shaped leaves and is stronger growing. At lower altitudes in desert and coastal hills. Good mountain forms are reported as "beautiful".