Shrubs, 15–40 dm. Stems erect to ascending, green, weathering brown, gray, or stramineous, glabrous or sparsely strigose (especially at nodes); bark deciduous, exfoliating or flaking, reddish; axillary buds hidden in pouches, sometimes apex exposed, especially on vigorous sprout-shoots. Leaves: petiole 1–6 mm; blade broadly lanceolate to broadly ovate, or narrowly to broadly elliptic, 1.5–10 × 1–5 cm, larger blades usually less than 6 × 2.5 cm, base narrowly cuneate to rounded or cordate, margins entire or irregularly to regularly serrate, crenate, or dentate, plane or slightly revolute, abaxial surface glabrous or sparsely strigose, hairs usually appressed-ascending, not twisted, main vein axils often densely strigose-tomentose, main veins sometimes sparsely strigose, secondary and tertiary veins rarely sparsely strigose, adaxial surface glabrous or sparsely to moderately strigose, especially near base and margins. Inflorescences usually cymose racemes or cymose panicles, sometimes flowers solitary, (1–)7–49-flowered, proximal 2, 4, or 6 flowers often in axils of nearly normal to much reduced (bracteal) leaves. Pedicels 3–8 mm, glabrous or moderately strigose. Flowers: hypanthium glabrous or sparsely strigose, hairs scattered or concentrated on veins; sepals ovate, ovate-lanceolate, or triangular, 5–8 × 3–5 mm, apex acute to acuminate, abaxial surface glabrous or sparsely strigose, adaxial surface glabrous except densely villous distally; petals white, oblong, obovate, or orbiculate, 5–20(–25) × 4–15 mm; stamens 25–40(–50); filaments distinct, 5–11 mm; anthers 2 × 1.5 mm; styles 4, cylindric, 4–8 mm, connate proximally, lobes 1–4 × 0.4–0.5 mm; stigmatic surfaces 1–3.5 mm. Capsules obconic to obovoid, 7–11 × 5–7 mm. Seeds caudate, 3 mm. 2n = 26.
Gullies, water courses, rocky cliffs, talus slopes and rocky hillsides of sagebrush deserts. Cliffs, rock outcrops, slopes in pine woodlands and forests, stream banks, talus, seasonally dry ravines; at elevations up to 2,500 metres.
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