Claytonia megarhiza

Fell-fields claytonia, Fell-Fields Claytonia

Family: Montiaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3

Fell-fields claytonia is a rare (CNPS 2B.3) California native perennial found in northern and central Sierra Nevada and Warner Mountains in subalpine and alpine gravel, talus, and rock crevices at elevations of 2,600 to 3,300 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces white to pale pink flowers approximately 5 to 9 millimeters long in small clusters of 2 to 6 blooms. Growing with a compact form, it has a distinctive long vertical brown caudex and spreading stems just 1 to 6 centimeters tall. Its basal leaves are widely elliptic to obovate, crowded and 2 to 10 centimeters long, with cauline leaves that are thin and linear. The tiny round, shiny seeds are 2 to 2.5 millimeters in diameter, nestled in fruits 3.5 to 4.5 millimeters long.

Habitat: Subalpine, alpine gravel, talus, crevices

Bloom period: May-Aug

Elevation: 2600-3300 m

Bioregions: n&ampc SNH, Wrn

California counties: Modoc, El Dorado, Fresno, Madera, Mariposa, Nevada, Placer, Tuolumne, Mono

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