Claytonia
Encyclopedia
Claytonia is a genus of 26 species of flowering plant
s in the family Montiaceae
, primarily native to North America
, with a few species extending south to Guatemala
in Central America
, and northwest to northeastern Asia
.
A number of the species were formerly treated in the related genus Montia
.
Claytonia perfoliata
, the species for which the term miner's lettuce was coined, is distributed throughout the Mountain West of North America in moist soils and prefers areas which have been recently disturbed. The species got its name due to its use as a fresh salad green by miners in the 1849 Gold Rush in California.
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
s in the family Montiaceae
Montiaceae
Montiaceae is a family of flowering plants, comprising about 14 genera with some 500 species, ranging from herbaceous plants to shrubs. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution....
, primarily native to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, with a few species extending south to Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
in Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, and northwest to northeastern Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.
A number of the species were formerly treated in the related genus Montia
Montia
Montia is a genus of plants in the purslane family, Montiaceae. Species in this genus are known generally as miner's lettuce or minerslettuce....
.
Claytonia perfoliata
Claytonia perfoliata
Claytonia perfoliata is a fleshy annual plant native to the western mountain and coastal regions of North America from southernmost Alaska and central British Columbia south to Central America, but most common in California in the Sacramento and northern San...
, the species for which the term miner's lettuce was coined, is distributed throughout the Mountain West of North America in moist soils and prefers areas which have been recently disturbed. The species got its name due to its use as a fresh salad green by miners in the 1849 Gold Rush in California.
Species
- Claytonia acutifolia
- Claytonia arctica
- Claytonia arenicola
- Claytonia caroliniana
- Claytonia cordifoliaClaytonia cordifoliaClaytonia cordifolia is a species of wildflower in the purslane family known by the common name heartleaf springbeauty. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to Utah, where it grows mainly in shady forested areas. It is a perennial herb growing from a long, budding rhizome and...
- Claytonia exiguaClaytonia exiguaClaytonia exigua is a species of wildflower in the purslane family known by the common names serpentine springbeauty and pale claytonia. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to Idaho to California, where it grows in a number of habitat types, including plant communities on...
- Claytonia gypsophiloidesClaytonia gypsophiloidesClaytonia gypsophiloides is a species of wildflower in the purslane family known by the common names gypsum springbeauty and Coast Range claytonia. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the Coast Ranges from the North Coast Ranges to the Temblor Range. It can usually be found in moist...
- Claytonia lanceolataClaytonia lanceolataClaytonia lanceolata is a species of wildflower in the purslane family known by the common names lanceleaf springbeauty and western springbeauty. This plant is native to western North America as far south as New Mexico where it grows in foothills up to alpine slopes. It thrives in the rocky soil of...
- Claytonia megarhizaClaytonia megarhizaClaytonia megarhiza is a species of wildflower in the purslane family known by the common names fell-fields claytonia and alpine springbeauty. It is native to western North America from northwestern Canada to New Mexico, where it grows in talus habitats in subalpine and alpine climates...
- Claytonia multiscapa
- Claytonia nevadensisClaytonia nevadensisClaytonia nevadensis is a species of wildflower in the purslane family known by the common names Sierra springbeauty and Sierra Nevada claytonia. It is native to California and adjacent parts of southern Oregon and western Nevada, where it can be found in the high mountain ranges from the Klamath...
- Claytonia ogilviensis
- Claytonia palustrisClaytonia palustrisClaytonia palustris is a species of wildflower in the purslane family known by the common names Jonesville springbeauty and marsh claytonia. It is endemic to California where it is an uncommon member of the flora in wet areas such as spring meadows in the high mountains from the Klamath Range to...
- Claytonia parvifloraClaytonia parvifloraClaytonia parviflora is a species of wildflower in the purslane family known by the common name streambank springbeauty. It is native to western North America from southwestern Canada to northwestern Mexico, where it can be found in many types of habitat, particularly areas that are moist in the...
- Claytonia perfoliataClaytonia perfoliataClaytonia perfoliata is a fleshy annual plant native to the western mountain and coastal regions of North America from southernmost Alaska and central British Columbia south to Central America, but most common in California in the Sacramento and northern San...
- Claytonia rosea
- Claytonia rubraClaytonia rubraClaytonia rubra is a species of wildflower in the purslane family known by the common name redstem springbeauty. It is native to western North America from southwestern Canada to northwestern Mexico, where it can be found in many types of habitat. This is an annual herb with stems up to about 15...
- Claytonia sarmentosa
- Claytonia saxosaClaytonia saxosaClaytonia saxosa is a species of wildflower in the purslane family known by the common name Brandegee's springbeauty. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the rocky, barren serpentine slopes of the Klamath Mountains and North Coast Ranges. This is a small, compact annual herb forming...
- Claytonia scammaniana
- Claytonia sibiricaClaytonia sibiricaClaytonia sibirica is a flowering plant in the family Portulacaceae, native to Siberia and western North America. A synonym is Montia sibirica...
- Claytonia tuberosa
- Claytonia umbellataClaytonia umbellataClaytonia umbellata is a species of wildflower in the purslane family known by the common name Great Basin springbeauty. It is native to the Great Basin of the United States, where it grows mainly in subalpine coniferous forests, often on exposed slopes in the talus. It is a perennial herb growing...
- Claytonia virginicaClaytonia virginicaClaytonia virginica, the Eastern spring beauty, Virginia spring beauty, or fairy-spuds, is a flowering plant in the family Portulacaceae, native to eastern North America. It is found in moist woods and clearings. It is a trailing plant growing to 5-40 cm long. The leaves are slender lanceolate,...
- Claytonia washingtoniana
External links
- Flora of North America: Claytonia
- Edible and Medicinal plants of the West, Gregory L. Tilford, ISBN 0-87842-359-1