Claytonia nevadensis
Encyclopedia
Claytonia 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 Range through the Sierra Nevada. It grows in subalpine
habitats such as scree
and gravelly snowmelt stream banks. It is a perennial herb growing from a network of fleshy rhizome
s with a small horizontal caudex
at ground level. It takes the form of a leafy clump with a stem no longer than about 10 centimeters. The thick red-green leaves are oval to spade-shaped and a few centimeters long, not counting the longer petiole
of the most basal leaves. The inflorescence
is a dense cluster of 2 to 8 flowers which nests in the clump of leaves or arises on a very short stalk. Each flower has five pink-tinted white petals up to a centimeter long.
Portulacaceae
Portulacaceae are a family of flowering plants, comprising about 20 genera with about 500 species, ranging from herbaceous plants to shrubs. The family has been recognised by most taxonomists, and is also known as the purslane family; it has a cosmopolitan distribution, with the highest diversity...
known by the common names Sierra springbeauty and Sierra Nevada claytonia. It is native to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and adjacent parts of southern Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
and western Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, where it can be found in the high mountain ranges from the Klamath Range through the Sierra Nevada. It grows in subalpine
Subalpine
The subalpine zone is the biotic zone immediately below tree line around the world. Species that occur in this zone depend on the location of the zone on the Earth, for example, Snow Gum in Australia, or Subalpine Larch, Mountain Hemlock and Subalpine Fir in western North America.Trees in the...
habitats such as scree
Scree
Scree, also called talus, is a term given to an accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags, mountain cliffs, or valley shoulders. Landforms associated with these materials are sometimes called scree slopes or talus piles...
and gravelly snowmelt stream banks. It is a perennial herb growing from a network of fleshy rhizome
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
s with a small horizontal caudex
Caudex
A caudex is a form of stem morphology appearing as a thickened, short, perennial stem that is either underground or near ground level . It may be swollen for the purpose of water storage, especially in xerophytes...
at ground level. It takes the form of a leafy clump with a stem no longer than about 10 centimeters. The thick red-green leaves are oval to spade-shaped and a few centimeters long, not counting the longer petiole
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
of the most basal leaves. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a dense cluster of 2 to 8 flowers which nests in the clump of leaves or arises on a very short stalk. Each flower has five pink-tinted white petals up to a centimeter long.