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Lewisia cotyledon

cliff lewisia, cliff maids, Siskiyou lewisia

Lewisia rediviva

bitter root, bitterroot lewisia, resurrection flower

Taproots

gradually ramified distally.

gradually ramified distally.

Stems

ascending to suberect, 10–12(–30) cm.

procumbent to erect, 1–3 cm.

Leaves

basal leaves evergreen, sessile or abruptly or gradually narrowed to broad petiole, blade oblanceolate, obovate, spatulate, or rarely ± linear or ± orbiculate, ± flattened, 3–14 cm, margins entire, crisped, or toothed, apex truncate, emarginate, retuse, or rounded;

cauline leaves alternate, intergrading with bracts, blade oblong to ovate, 5–10 mm, margins glandular-toothed, apex acute to occasionally obtuse.

basal leaves withering at or soon after anthesis, sessile, blade linear to clavate, subterete or grooved adaxially, 0.5–5 cm, margins entire, apex obtuse to subacute;

cauline leaves absent.

Inflorescences

dense, paniculate to subumbellate cymes, 10–50-flowered;

bracts alternate or opposite proximally, 2 at each flowering node distally, obovate to lanceolate, 2–4 mm, margins glandular-toothed, apex acute.

with flowers borne singly;

bracts 4–7(–8), whorled, subulate to linear-lanceolate, 4–10 mm, margins entire, apex acuminate.

Flowers

pedicellate, not disarticulate in fruit;

sepals 2, suborbiculate to broadly ovate, 4–6 mm, herbaceous at anthesis, margins glandular-toothed, apex obtuse to truncate;

petals 7–10, usually pink-purple with pale and darker stripes, less often white, cream with pink-orange stripes, ± orange, or yellow, oblanceolate, obovate, or spatulate, (8–)12–20 mm;

stamens 5–12;

stigmas 2–4;

pedicel 2–5 mm.

pedicellate, disarticulate in fruit;

sepals (4–)6–9, broadly elliptic to ovate, 10–25 mm, scarious after anthesis, margins entire to somewhat erose, apex obtuse to rounded;

petals 10–19, usually rose to pink, sometimes lavender, sometimes with paler or white centers, or wholly white, elliptic, oblong, or narrowly oblanceolate, 15–35 mm;

stamens 20–50;

stigmas 4–9;

pedicel (1–)3–15(–30) mm.

Capsules

3–5 mm.

5–6 mm.

Seeds

4–15, 1.5 mm, shiny, smooth.

6–25, 2–2.5 mm, shiny, minutely papillate.

2n

= 26, 28.

Lewisia cotyledon

Lewisia rediviva

Distribution
map from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
map from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

The varieties occasionally co-occur. Natural hybrids with Lewisia leeana are known (see discussion under 8. L. leeana).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Native Americans commonly ate the boiled roots of Lewisia rediviva.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Parent taxa Portulacaceae > Lewisia Portulacaceae > Lewisia
Sibling taxa
L. brachycalyx, L. cantelovii, L. columbiana, L. congdonii, L. disepala, L. kelloggii, L. leeana, L. longipetala, L. maguirei, L. nevadensis, L. oppositifolia, L. pygmaea, L. rediviva, L. stebbinsii, L. triphylla
L. brachycalyx, L. cantelovii, L. columbiana, L. congdonii, L. cotyledon, L. disepala, L. kelloggii, L. leeana, L. longipetala, L. maguirei, L. nevadensis, L. oppositifolia, L. pygmaea, L. stebbinsii, L. triphylla
Subordinate taxa
L. cotyledon var. cotyledon, L. cotyledon var. heckneri, L. cotyledon var. howellii
L. rediviva var. minor, L. rediviva var. rediviva
Key
1. Basal leaf blade margins entire or slightly undulate, not toothed or crisped; petals (8-)12-14 mm
var. cotyledon
1. Basal leaf blade margins strongly crisped or toothed; petals 12-20 mm
→ 2
2. Basal leaf blade margins toothed.
var. heckneri
2. Basal leaf blade margins strongly crisped
var. howellii
1. Basal leaf blades clavate to narrowly oblanceolate, grooved adaxially; sepals 10-12(-15) mm; petals 15mm; stamens 20-30
var. minor
1. Basal leaf blades linear, subterete, not grooved adaxially; sepals 15-25 mm; petals 18-35 mm; stamens 30-50
var. rediviva
Synonyms Calandrinia cotyledon, Oreobroma cotyledon
Name authority (S. Watson) B. L. Robinson: in A. Gray et al., Syn. Fl. N. Amer. 1: 268. (1897) Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept. 2: 368. (1814)
Source FNA vol. 4, p. 480. Treatment authors: Mark A. Hershkovitz, Sean B. Hogan. FNA vol. 4, p. 484. Treatment authors: Mark A. Hershkovitz, Sean B. Hogan.
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