Claytonia parviflora subsp. viridis

Family: Montiaceae · Type: annual · Native

Miner's lettuce is a California native annual found in the southern Sierra Nevada, southern Coast Ranges, Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, eastern Sierra Nevada, and desert mountains in shrub and woodland habitats at elevations of 100 to 2,000 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces delicate white flowers 2 to 3.5 millimeters long. Growing with slender stems up to 20 centimeters tall, it has distinctive linear to diamond-shaped leaves that are often curved and spreading. Its cauline leaves are free or partially fused on one side, typically thin and elongated, creating a unique botanical profile. Small seeds approximately 1.2 to 1.5 millimeters long complete the plant's compact growth pattern.

Habitat: Shrub- or woodland, dry or not; decomposed granite, sandstone rock crevices, boulder fields

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: 100-2000 m

Bioregions: s SN, SCoR, TR, PR, SNE, DMtns

California counties: Kern, San Bernardino, Imperial, San Diego, Riverside, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Ventura, Lake, Fresno, Inyo, San Benito, Santa Barbara, Tulare, Colusa, Santa Cruz

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