The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links
Lewisiopsis tweedyi

Tweedy's bitterroot, Tweedy's lewisia, Tweedy's pussypaws

mariposa pussypaws

Habit Plants perennial, taprooted; caudex short-branching. Plants annual, roots fibrous.
Stems

1 or more from each rosette, 10–20 cm, bracts scattered proximally, ovate-lanceolate, scarious.

2 or more from each rosette, spreading to ascending, 2–7 cm.

Leaves

basal, in loose rosettes;

blade elliptic-lanceolate to ovate or oblanceolate, narrowing to broad petiole, 6–15 cm.

basal and cauline;

basal in single, prostrate rosette, blade spatulate, 0.5–2 cm;

cauline leaves slightly smaller.

Inflorescences

racemose, 1–5(–8)-flowered.

paniculate cymes, open.

Flowers

pedicellate;

sepals broadly ovate, 9–10 mm, scarious;

petals 7–9(–12), salmon-pink to yellowish, rarely white, 25–40 mm;

stamens 10–23, anther yellow;

style present;

stigmas 3;

pedicel 20–60 mm.

subsessile;

sepals orbiculate, 3–4 mm, scarious;

petals 4, rose, 3 mm;

stamens 3, anther yellow;

style included, filiform;

stigmas 2.

Capsules

ovoid, 7–10 mm, dehiscence circumscissile near base;

valves 3–4, splitting from base toward apex.

globose, 1.5–2.5 mm;

valves 2.

Seeds

12–35, dark brownish red, suborbicular to reniform, 2 mm, not shiny, warty, strophiolate.

1–2, black, orbicular, 0.7–0.8 mm, shiny.

2n

= 46, 92.

Cistanthe tweedyi

Cistanthe pulchella

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering Apr–May.
Habitat Well-drained granitic talus slopes and ledges, often in ponderosa pine duff Sandy soil in chaparral, oak woodlands
Elevation 600-2200 m (2000-7200 ft) 400-1100 m (1300-3600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

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

Of conservation concern.

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

Source FNA vol. 4, p. 464. FNA vol. 4, p. 463.
Parent taxa Portulacaceae > Cistanthe Portulacaceae > Cistanthe
Sibling taxa
C. ambigua, C. maritima, C. monandra, C. monosperma, C. parryi, C. pulchella, C. pygmaea, C. quadripetala, C. rosea, C. tweedyi, C. umbellata
C. ambigua, C. maritima, C. monandra, C. monosperma, C. parryi, C. pygmaea, C. quadripetala, C. rosea, C. tweedyi, C. umbellata
Synonyms Calandrinia tweedyi, Lewisia tweedyi, Lewisiopsis tweedyi Spraguea pulchella, Calyptridium pulchellum
Name authority (A. Gray) Hershkovitz: Phytologia 68: 268. (1990) (Eastwood) Hershkovitz: Phytologia 68: 268. (1990)
Web links