35 



MOSS PHLOX 

 ( Phlox andicpla.) 



A. CLASSIFICATION 



1. FAMILY: Phlox Family (Polemoniaceae) 



2. GENUS: Phlox refers to a flame (G. phlox - flame); 

 referring to the brightly-colored flowers. 



3. SPECIES: The origin of the species epithet is obscure. An 

 alternate common name for the species is plains phlox. 



B. PRESENT LEGAL OR OTHER FORMAL STATUS 



1. FEDERAL STATUS 



a. U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE: none 



b. BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT: proposed watch (BLM 1993) 



2. STATE: The state rank is SI (critically imperiled) based on 

 three records. 



DESCRIPTION 



1. GENERAL NONTECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: Moss phlox is a loosely- 

 matted phlox with linear narrow leaves averaging 1 mm (.04 

 in) or less wide and 10-30 mm (.4-1.2 in) long. It usually 

 grows over 6 cm (2.4 in) high with the internodes visible, 

 growing either erect or sprawling. The base of leaves and 

 the stem are usually white hyaline and variably slightly 

 hairy to webbed hairy. The petals are obtusely-lobed and 

 white, and the flower tube is 1/2-2/3 as long as the sepals. 



2. TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: Rhizomatous, cespitose perennial, 4- 

 12 cm (1.6-4.7 in) tall. Fertile shoots solitary or 

 branching near the base, erect to decumbent, with 5-8(10) 

 nodes, the herbaceous stems puberulent to arachnoid- 

 pubescent. Blades linear to subulate, 10-30 mm (.4-1.2 in) 

 long, 1-2 mm (.04-. 08 in) wide, nearly glabrous to pubescent 

 or arachnoid-ciliate proximally, the midrib prominently 

 thickened, the tips pungent to subacerose. Inflorescence 

 compact with 1-3(5) flowers; pedicels glabrous to weakly 

 pilose, subsessile to 2(5) mm (.08 in) long. Calyx 6-11 mm 

 (.24-. 43 in) long, arachnoid-pubescent along the margins of 

 the lobes and near the summit of the tube, the tube about 

 1/2 - 2/3 as long as the calyx, the lobes subulate and 

 pungent; corolla white, tubes 6-17 mm (.16-. 28 in) long. 



