Claytonia perfoliata
Rooreh
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Montiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Claytonia perfoliata (Rooreh) is a native California herb in the Montiaceae family.
Rooreh is a California native annual herb found throughout California's coastal, central, and northern regions in a variety of habitats from sea level to mountain areas. Flowering from February to May, this plant produces delicate white to pale pink flowers 2 to 6 millimeters long in small clusters. Growing with spreading to erect stems 1 to 40 centimeters tall, it develops distinctive round, fused cauline leaves that form a unique disk-like structure up to 10 centimeters in diameter. Its basal leaves are elliptic to kidney-shaped, measuring up to 4 centimeters long with rounded or slightly pointed tips. The tiny seeds are shiny and smooth, measuring 1.2 to 2.7 millimeters in size.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated with no sympatric species.
Habitat and range
California counties: Orange, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Riverside, Kern, Tuolumne, San Diego, San Bernardino, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, Fresno, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, Butte, Alameda, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, Sacramento, San Benito, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Siskiyou, Sonoma, Sutter, Trinity, Tulare, Nevada, Napa, Placer, Amador, Yolo, Sierra, Shasta, Alpine, Calaveras, El Dorado, Inyo, Mendocino, Mono, Madera, Plumas, Solano, Glenn, Modoc, Tehama, Stanislaus, Colusa, Del Norte, Yuba, Kings
How to tell it apart
vs Montia: Claytonia has just 2 stem leaves opposite or fused; Montia has multiple stem leaves arranged alternately.; vs Stellaria: Claytonia has 2 broad stem leaves and 5 petals; Stellaria has many narrow opposite leaves and deeply notched petals.; vs Hydrocotyle: Claytonia has 5-petaled flowers above paired stem leaves; Hydrocotyle has round shield-like leaves and tiny flower clusters.; vs Lewisia: Claytonia has thin leaves on upright stems in moist areas; Lewisia forms succulent rosettes on rocky cliffs.; vs Dichondra: Claytonia has upright stems with 5-petaled flowers; Dichondra is a creeping plant with kidney-shaped leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Is Claytonia perfoliata native to California?
Yes. Claytonia perfoliata is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Claytonia perfoliata grow?
Claytonia perfoliata occurs in Orange, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Riverside, Kern, Tuolumne, San Diego, San Bernardino and other counties.
What plant family does Claytonia perfoliata belong to?
Claytonia perfoliata is in the Montiaceae family, genus Claytonia.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.