E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Calandrinia menziesii (Ruiz & Pav.) DC.
desert rock purslane (fringed redmaids; red maids)
Portulacaceae

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Virginia Skilton  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #16291)

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Distribution of Calandrinia menziesii
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Species Information

General:
Annual herb from a taproot; stems decumbent to ascending, several, simple to branched from the base, smooth or fringed along the angles, 5-35 cm long.
Leaves:
Basal leaves linear to oblanceolate, 1.5-7 cm long, 2-10 mm wide, narrowing to long, slender stalks, sparsely fringed; stem leaves similar, alternate, reduced upwards, becoming short-stalked above.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of tightly clustered flowers in head-like umbels or panicles on short stalks; petals usually 5, white to deep pink or rose, 3-8 mm long; sepals 2, green and rounded at the tips to pointed and reddish; 3-8 mm long.
Fruits:
Capsules, papery, splitting from the top into 3 segments subequal to the sepals; seeds black, elliptic, shiny, smooth, faintly veined (at 30x), 1.3-1.6 mm long.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Moist, gravelly or grassy vernal sites in the lowland zone; locally frequent on SE Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands; S to AZ and CA; S America.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Additional Photo Sources

General References