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Botanical Description

A robust, evil-smelling species, resembling many 'Nivalids' but with involute leaves when they develop. Leaves usually erect, obovate to oblanceolate, leathery, 6-33cm long by l-6cm across, glandular on both surfaces. Flowers fragrant, red-purple, 1.5-3cm wide, on pedicels of varying lengths, some pendent, some erect or facing outwards, in one-sided umbels of up to twenty or more on stout stems, 8-30cm high. Rocky Mountains, USA, Montana south to Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. Snow-melt and stream-sides, usually in limestone areas, 2700-4200m. Can be persistent in cultivation, but not free-flowering.

a, P. kisoana; b, P. megasaefolia; c, P. palmata; d, P. parryi; e, P. polyneura;