Claytonia umbellata

Great basin claytonia

Family: Montiaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.1

Great basin claytonia is a rare (CNPS 2B.1) California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges and Great Basin in talus slopes, stony flats, and rock crevices at elevations of 1,900 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces delicate pink flowers 6 to 12 millimeters long in small clusters of 2 to 12 blooms. Growing with erect stems 5 to 25 centimeters tall, mostly underground with a distinctive brown tuberous root 1 to 5 centimeters in diameter. Its basal leaves are widely elliptic to ovate, 1 to 3 centimeters long, with acute or truncate bases and obtuse tips. The tiny round seeds are 2.5 to 3 millimeters in diameter and have a distinctive shiny appearance.

Habitat: Talus slopes, stony flats, rock crevices

Bloom period: May-Aug

Elevation: 1900-3500 m

Bioregions: KR, GB

California counties: Tuolumne, Mono, Lassen, Siskiyou, Alpine, Modoc

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