We characterized eight polymorphic, codominant nuclear microsatellite loci in the tetraploid plant Eritrichium nanum. The different allelic configurations occurring under tetrasomic inheritance were fully resolved at all loci. Two natural populations showed high observed heterozygosities, which were in agreement with Hardy-Weinberg expectations. There was no evidence of genetic linkage disequilibrium for any pair of loci. The results suggest that these microsatellite markers are useful for mating system and population genetic analyses in high-alpine E. nanum.