Claytonia perfoliata Donn ex Willd. subsp. perfoliata
miner's-lettuce
Montiaceae (Purslane family)
(Previously in Portulacaceae)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

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Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Claytonia perfoliata subsp. perfoliata
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Species Information

General:
Annual herb from a slender taproot; stems ascending to erect, simple, several, 1-35 cm tall.
Leaves:
Basal leaves few to many, spreading to erect, more or less equal in size, elliptic to round-deltate, the blades 0.5-4 cm long, tapered abruptly to the stalk, the stalks up to 20 cm long; stem leaves paired, opposite, fused on both margins, forming a disk less than 5 cm wide.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of whorled racemes with 5-40 flowers on stalks 1-10 cm long or unstalked, with one bract subtending the lowest flower; petals 5, white or pinkish, 2-6 mm long; sepals 2, 1.5-5 mm long.
Fruits:
Capsules; seeds 3, round to egg-shaped, black, shiny, smooth (at 20x magnification), the appendages white, fleshy, 1-2.7 mm long.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat and Range

Moist, sandy vernal sites, meadows, thickets and forests in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; frequent in SW and SE BC, infrequent in SC BC; S to SD, MT, UT, AZ and MX, also known from AK.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia