Claytonia perfoliata subsp. mexicana

Family: Montiaceae · Type: annual · Native

Mexican miner's lettuce is a California native annual found in the North Coast Ranges, San Francisco Bay Area, southern Coast Ranges, Transverse Ranges, and Peninsular Ranges in shrubland, woodland, and rocky habitats at elevations of 500 to 2,000 meters. Flowering from February to April, this plant produces small white to pink flowers in delicate clusters. Growing with tender, branching stems up to 20 centimeters tall, it forms a distinctive rounded growth habit. Its basal leaves are triangular to kidney-shaped with a small pointed tip, while the distinctive cauline leaves form a circular disk-like shape that completely surrounds the stem. The plant is characterized by its delicate structure and ability to thrive in rocky, challenging environments.

Habitat: Shrubland, woodland, rock crevices, rockslides

Bloom period: Feb-Apr

Elevation: 500-2000 m

Bioregions: NCoR, SnFrB, SCoR, TR, PR

California counties: Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, Tulare, Ventura, Humboldt, Monterey, Orange, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, El Dorado, Amador, San Joaquin, Calaveras, Sacramento, Placer, Nevada, Kern, Alameda, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, San Benito, Santa Clara, Sonoma, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Butte, Trinity, Plumas

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