Arenaria confusa Rydb.

Arenaria saxosa and Arenaria confusa are often combined under Arenaria lanuginosa var. saxosa (e.g., in The Flora of North America; or Spergulastrum lanuginosum in Kelly Allred's NM checklist), however I am following the treatment by Bassett Maguire in The Flora of Arizona. These taxa are apparently in need of further research to determine which, if either, treatment is correct; however, it seems unsatisfying to lump considerable variation within a single variety. Unlike Arenaria saxosa, Arenaria confusa is a diffuse, sprawling plant with much-branched stems, relatively sparsely pubescent leaves, and long, divergent pedicels.

A flower on the trail to Capitan Peak, Capitan Mountains, Lincoln County, New Mexico, 17 Jul 2006.

A flowering stem on the trail to Capitan Peak, 17 Jul 2006.

Plant habit on the trail to Capitan Peak, 17 Jul 2006.