Phlox hoodii

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. It is among the first plants to bloom in spring, after the snow has melted. Its distribution extends from Alaska to Arizona.[1] There are many subspecies.

Phlox hoodii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Ericales
Family:	Polemoniaceae
Genus:	Phlox
Species:	P. hoodii
Binomial name
Phlox hoodii Richardson

This perennial herb is variable in morphology, but usually forms a tight mat or loose clump on the ground.[1] The short stems emerge from a woody taproot and caudex unit and the plant form is no more than 13 centimetres (5 in) tall.[1] 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.[1] The appearance of the plant is almost mosslike until blooming.[2] The inflorescence is a solitary flower in shades of white, pink, or blue.[1] It has a tubular throat about one centimetre (¹⁄₃ in) long spreading into a flat five-lobed corolla.