PLANT: Annual, 2-10 cm tall, much branched throughout; stems ascending to decumbent, glandular and short pilose. LEAVES: lobes 3-5, linear, mucronate, 5-11 mm long, glabrous to short pubescent. INFLORESCENCE: compact, the flowers in terminal, bracteate clusters. FLOWERS: subsessile; calyx glandular, campanulate, 4-7 mm long, the lobes free to near the base; corolla diurnal, white to cream, the lobes white with purple flecks or streaks at the base; stamens inserted at the base of the tube; style slightly exserted. 2n=18. NOTES: Washes, bajadas, desert shrublands and woodlands: La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Pima, Pinal, Yavapai, Yuma cos.; 270-900 m (900-3000 ft); Feb-May; s CA to sw UT. REFERENCES: Dieter H. Wilken and J. Mark Porter, 2005, Vascular Plants of Arizona: Polemoniaceae. CANOTIA 1: 1-37.