| Phlox hoodii | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Polemoniaceae |
| Genus: | Phlox |
| Species: | P. hoodii |
| Binomial name | |
| Phlox hoodii Richardson | |
Phlox hoodii, the spiny phlox or carpet phlox, is a species of phlox. It is a plant of western North America, where it is a common flower in sagebrush country, mostly growing in dry lithosol habitats. It is among the first plants to bloom in spring, after the snow has melted. Its distribution extends from Alaska to Arizona. There are many subspecies.
This perennial herb is variable in morphology, but usually forms a tight mat or loose clump on the ground. The short stems emerge from a woody taproot and caudex unit and the plant form is no more than 13 centimetres (5 in) tall. The abundant tiny, sharp-pointed leaves are oppositely arranged and barely exceed one centimetre (1⁄3 in) long. The herbage is hairy in texture, the hairs short to long, woolly to cobwebby. The appearance of the plant is almost mosslike until blooming. The inflorescence is a solitary flower in shades of white, pink, or blue. It has a tubular throat about one centimetre (1⁄3 in) long spreading into a flat five-lobed corolla.
References
- Taylor, Ronald J. (1994) . Sagebrush Country: A Wildflower Sanctuary (rev. ed.). Missoula, MT: Mountain Press Pub. Co. p. 112. ISBN 0-87842-280-3. OCLC 25708726.
- ^ US Forest Service Fire Ecology
- USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
External links
- Calflora Database: Phlox hoodii (Spiny phlox)
- Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of Phlox hoodii ssp canescens
- UC CalPhotos gallery
| Taxon identifiers | |
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| Phlox hoodii |
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