Arenaria soratensis

A small Andean herb in the pink family, it produces numerous ascending stems that reach about 8 inches tall. Short, backward-pointing hairs cover the stems and leaves, especially toward the flowering tips. Its opposite leaves are slightly thickened and taper to pointed ends. White flowers grow singly on slender stalks from the leaf axils. The fruits are small, egg-shaped capsules containing smooth, shiny, dark brown to black seeds. In Bolivia, it grows on rocky outcrops near Sorata. Photographed in Peru.