Montia parvifolia
Encyclopedia
Montia parvifolia is a species of flowering plant in the purslane family
known by the common name littleleaf miner's lettuce. It is native to western North America from Alaska
to California
to Montana
, where it grows in moist to wet areas in several typs of mountain habitat.
base. It spreads via leafy stolon
s with sprouting bulblets. The fleshy oval leaves are alternately arranged and measure up to 6 centimeters in length. The inflorescence
at the tip of the stem bears 1 to 12 flowers each with five pink or white petals up to 1.5 centimeters 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 name littleleaf miner's lettuce. It is native to western North America from Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
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...
to Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, where it grows in moist to wet areas in several typs of mountain habitat.
Description
Montia parvifolia is a perennial herb growing erect to about 40 centimeters tall from a matted, branching caudexCaudex
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...
base. It spreads via leafy stolon
Stolon
In biology, stolons are horizontal connections between organisms. They may be part of the organism, or of its skeleton; typically, animal stolons are external skeletons.-In botany:...
s with sprouting bulblets. The fleshy oval leaves are alternately arranged and measure up to 6 centimeters in length. 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...
at the tip of the stem bears 1 to 12 flowers each with five pink or white petals up to 1.5 centimeters long.