Moss Campion

Silene acaulis

Description: 5-15cm sushion shaped clumps

Small leaves and small pink flowers

The Moss Campion I observed was growing in a scree field near the top of Paintbrush Canyon. It appeared to be growing out of the space between several rocks 10-30cm and in reasearch it was discovered that it prefers sandy rocky soil and each cushion has a solid and very long tap root which allows the plant to survive in these conditions. The dense cushion of leaves is also capable of creating significantly higher temperatures inside when exposed to sunlight, another adaptation that makes this plant well suited to high cold climates. It can be found from tundra to high alpine areas worldwide, usually in dry areas, but may also be present in slightly damp regions.