A dwarf species, 10-20 cm in height, something more robust than type subspecies. Grown from seeds collected on Evans Flat in Greenhorn Mountains, California at ~ 2000m altitude. Flowers violet or lilac, up to 2,5 cm long. Excellent for bulb frame or alpine house. Need vernally moist, gritty soil. Subsp. kernensis is more robust than the type form with more flowered umbels on 10-15 cm long scapes.