A dwarf evergreen shrub 6 to 12 in. high, of tufted habit; young shoots erect, very leafy. Leaves almost stalkless, linear, blunt, 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 in. long (shorter immediately beneath the raceme), 1⁄16 to 1⁄12 in. wide, dark glossy green. Flowers produced during May in a terminal raceme 2 to 4 in. long, each flower on a slender, glandular stalk about 1⁄2 in. long, from the axil of a short, leaf-like bract. Corolla bright purplish rose, 1⁄2 in. in diameter, saucer-shaped, the five lobes ovate and rounded at the apex; stamens protruded. Calyx half as wide as the corolla, with five ovate, pointed, ciliate, but otherwise glabrous loves. Seed-vessel globose, 1⁄6 in. in diameter. Bot. Mag, t. 8146.
Native of California, and found on the Sierra Nevada at 9,000 to 10,000 ft altitude; first discovered by W. H. Brewer about 1862. In some places it is said to cover extensive areas. It is a charming rock garden plant, delighting in a moist, peaty soil and a cool spot. The racemes vary considerably in length and in the density of the blossoms. The expanded corolla, elongated raceme, and protruded stamens distinguish it from the other three cultivated species, and bring it nearer than any to the true Bryanthus (B. gmelinii).