Phlox hoodii var. canescens
Synonyms: Phlox canescens, Phlox hoodii ssp. canescens, Phlox lanata
The photo above shows a close-up view of the calyx and corolla of Hood's phlox as seen from hillsides west of Vantage, WA.........March 29, 2007. The sharp point at the tip of each leaf is readily apparent in the photo.
Hood's phlox is a pretty, compact, mat or low cushion forming wildflower. The leaves are firm and pungent, and are narrowly linear. Most leaves range from 4 to 10 mm long and about 0.5 to 1 mm wide. The leaves of Hood's phlox tend to be stiffer and generally shorter than those of spreading phlox (Phlox diffusa).
The beautiful flowers are solitary, sessile, and at the tips of the stems. The corolla is white, pink, or a light blue. The tube ranges in length from 4 to 10 mm long, with the lobes being 4 to 7 mm long. The membranes between the ribs of the calyx tube are flat and often obscured by the hairs there. The style is 2-5 mm long. Four of the anthers are near the mouth of the tube, while the fifth is below the others. It is positioned above the tip of the style.
Hood's phlox is a wildflower of dry open places. It is commonly found with sagebrush. It is found from the hills of the lowlands to moderate elevations in the mountains.
Hood's phlox is a widespread phlox. It is found from Alaska south through the Yukon, and along the east side of the Rockies into Alberta and Saskatchewan to northern Colorado and western Nebraska. It passes wetward of the Rockies through Wyoming to southern Idaho, norhtern Utah, and as far west as the eastern base of the Cascade Range, into central Washington and south through central Oregon to northeastern California.
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