Montia howellii
Encyclopedia
Montia howellii is a species of flowering plant in the purslane family
known by the common name Howell's miner's lettuce. It is native to western North America from British Columbia
to northern California
, where it grows in moist to wet habitat, including vernal pool
s and meadows. It sometimes grows in shallow standing water such as puddles.
bears 2 to 6 minute flowers with oval green sepal
s no more than 2 millimeters long and white petals less than a millimeter in length. The flower is usually cleistogamous
, self-fertilizing and sometimes never even opening.
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 name Howell's miner's lettuce. It is native to western North America from British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
to northern 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...
, where it grows in moist to wet habitat, including vernal pool
Vernal pool
Vernal pools, also called vernal ponds or ephemeral pools, are temporary pools of water. They are usually devoid of fish, and thus allow the safe development of natal amphibian and insect species...
s and meadows. It sometimes grows in shallow standing water such as puddles.
Description
It is a small, low, mat-forming annual herb growing up to about 9 centimeters in maximum length. The linear or lance-shaped, sometimes grasslike, leaves are alternately arranged and measure up to 2.5 centimeters in length. The inflorescenceInflorescence
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...
bears 2 to 6 minute flowers with oval green sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s no more than 2 millimeters long and white petals less than a millimeter in length. The flower is usually cleistogamous
Cleistogamy
Cleistogamy or automatic self-pollination describes the trait of certain plants to propagate by using non-opening, self-pollinating flowers...
, self-fertilizing and sometimes never even opening.