Slender Phlox Microsteris gracilis Phlox family (Polemoniaceae)
The plant was grown in England from seeds collected by David Douglas (of Douglas Fir fame) near "the banks of the Spoken River, and on high grounds near the Flathead River" (Quote from "Intermountain Flora"). In 1829 William Jackson Hooker named the plant Gilia gracilis and it has gone through numerous and species name changes since then. Edward Greene gave the presently accepted and species name in 1898. "Microsteris" is Greek for "small stem" and "" is Latin for "slender." Microsteris gracilis is often in the company of Blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia parviflora).
, early spring , 1-8" tall, with , hairy leaves 2-10" long, up to 1/4" wide. The red, oval shaped cotyledons are distinctive and often remain past blooming time. The lower leaves are , the upper . The white or pale pink flowers, 1/4-1/2" across, grow out of the leaf , often in pairs. The is shorter than the tube of the flower. are unequal in length and do not extend out of the tube.
