This past summer I had the privilege of seeing this form of Eriogonum ovalifolium blooming on the 9,000'< (2750 m) crest of the Steens Mountain in South Eastern Oregon. I was participating in an Eriogonum Society field trip lead by Dr James Reveal and Professor Don Mansfield. There were discussions as to whither this population was variety depressum or variety nivale. Dr Reveal felt it would need further study before it could definitively be assigned to a specific variety.
I am therefore calling it the 'Steens Mountain Form'.
The thousands of plants in this thriving population of Eriogonum ovalifolium form outstanding gray/green cushions 6-10" (15.25-25.4 cm)across and no higher than 1" ( 2.5 cm) tall. The flowers splay out across the foliage attached by short stems. The capitate flower inflorescence are various shades of pink with many intensely pink individuals along side pastel examples.  I did happen to find one plant who's flowers were pale yellow with a flush of pink, a stand out among the crowd.  

Beautiful, John!

I was tempted to join the Eriogonum Society's summer meeting and field trips last summer but had no time
I am very sorry I couldn't!

BTW John, I loved your article in the Rock Garden Quarterly! I'm looking forward to the next one

Trond
I wish you could have joined us. I know I had a grand time.

Steens mountain is located in the northern Great Basin.This massive high desert mountain is a unique basalt block fault mountain, about 50 miles long and 18 miles across, it reaches over 9,700 feet in elevation. The shear eastern face rising a mile above a bleak dry pan known as the Alvord Desert. During the Last Ice age the Steens sported glacers as a result of their action you will find three deep glacial gorges with dramatic views.
Isolation from other mountain ranges has encouraged several species of plants to differentiate into uniquely endemic subspecies and forms. I have a feeling that this form of E. ovalifolium is an example of this process.