[Phlox: The Genus Phlox East of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]

Midget Phlox, Slender Phlox

Microsteris gracilis

Synonyms: Gilia gracilis, Gilia gracilis var. humilior, Microsteris gracilis ssp. humilis, Microsteris gracilis var. gracilis, Microsteris gracilis var. humilior, Microsteris humilis, Microsteris micrantha, Phlox gracilis ssp. gracilis, Phlox gracilis ssp. humilis, Phlox gracilis var. humilior

The photo above shows a close-up of midget phlox as seen along Hat Pt. Road in Hells Canyon National Recreation Area........June 28, 2007.

Photo at right of Microsteris gracilis from Cabin Lake C.G., Deschutes N.F., May 25, 1996.

Characteristics:

Midget phlox is a small wildflower to 30 cm in height. It frequently is seen as a single upright stem several side branches, but may also be much-branched. The leaves are linear or lance-linear or even elliptic in shape. Length of the leaves may be as much as 5 cm with an 8 mm width. The flowers are found typically in pairs at the ends of the stems and branches. The corolla is 5 to 15 mm long, with a white or yellowish tube and pink or lavender limb. The tips of the petals are often notched.

Habitat:

Midget phlox is a plant of moist to dry open places, typically in the lowlands and foothills.

Range:

Midget phlox is found from southern British Columbia south to Baja California and South America and eastward to Montana.

The photo at left shows midget phlox as seen at Fort Simcoe State Park to the southwest of White Swam, Washington.........April 5, 2008. The photo at right shows midget phlox as seen high on the steep slope west of the Cottonwood Canyon State Park campground..........Feberuary 22, 2015.

Midget phlox in bloom in Logan Valley, just to the west of Big Creek Campground, Malheur National Forest........July 1, 2010.

Midget phlox in bloom on sandflats along the Flatiron Trail, Badlands Wilderness.......May 12, 2018.

Midget phlox (former variety humilior) as seen in Summit Prairie, Malheur National Forest...........May 28, 2014. Since these plants are branched at the base, they are the former variety humilior.

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Midget phlox (former variety gracilis) as seen at Brooks Memorial State Park near Satus Pass, Washington..........May 19, 2014. This variety was tall without branching from the lowest part of the stem.

The photo at left shows a close-up of the developing seed capsules of midget phlox as seen along FS Road #38-200 several miles southeast of Spanish Peak, Ochoco National Forest.........June 14, 2015. The photo at right shows a mass of midget phlox in bloom on wildfire-scarred ground along the Hanan Trail #142, Fremont-Winema National Forest......June 17, 2020..

Midget phlox blooming at left on a vernally moist bald just north of the junctions of Forest Roads 22 and 4210, Ochoco National Forest...........May 10, 2017. The photo at right shows midget phlox blooming at Fort Rock State Park, Lake County, Oregon..........May 1, 2017.

Midget phlox as seen along the Hager Mountain Trail high on the west-facing slopes of Hager Mountain, Fremont National Forest.........May 19, 2016.

Paul Slichter