Calyptridium pygmaeum

Pygmy pussypaws

Family: Montiaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Pygmy pussypaws is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native annual found in central Sierra Nevada and San Bernardin Mountains in conifer forests with sandy to gravelly soils at elevations of 2,100 to 3,200 meters. Flowering from June to July, this delicate plant produces white flowers 2 to 3 millimeters long in small, dense axillary clusters. Growing extremely small, typically 0.5 to 8 centimeters tall, with spreading to erect leafy stems and a slender taproot or fibrous root system. Its leaves are both basal and along the stem, persistent even after flowering, measuring 5 to 15 millimeters long and generally remaining with the plant through fruit production. The tiny fruit is 3 to 5 millimeters long, containing 15 to 30 shiny seeds, each less than half a millimeter in size.

Habitat: Sandy to gravelly soils, conifer forest

Bloom period: Jun-Jul

Elevation: 2100-3200 m

Bioregions: c&amps SNH, SnBr.

California counties: San Bernardino, Inyo

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.