Common names:
Spiny phlox, carpet phlox
Family:
Scientific name:
Phlox hoodii
Main flower color:
Range:
The Rocky Mountain states, all states to the west, and the northern Great Plains
Height:
A few inches - forms mats
Habitat:
Pinyon-juniper woodland, rocks slopes, sagebrush, dry grassland; from 3,000 to 9,000 feet
Leaves:
Linear, narrow, pointed, up to 0.4 inches long
Season:
April to July
The common name of phlox hoodii, spiny phlox, refers to the leaves, which are short, clustered and needle-like, terminating in a spike and lightly covered with short straggly hairs, non-glandular. Plants form low, loose mats, just a few inches tall. New leaves appear above dead leaves from previous years.
A single stalkless flower is produced from the tip of each stem, formed of a short, hairy, green calyx and a narrowly tubular, yellowish-green corolla (around half an inch in length) that opens to five spreading, white or pale pink lobes. The upper edges of the lobes are slightly uneven. Flower color becomes lighter with age. The anthers are yellow, and not exserted.
A single stalkless flower is produced from the tip of each stem, formed of a short, hairy, green calyx and a narrowly tubular, yellowish-green corolla (around half an inch in length) that opens to five spreading, white or pale pink lobes. The upper edges of the lobes are slightly uneven. Flower color becomes lighter with age. The anthers are yellow, and not exserted.
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