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Taxon  Report  
Calyptridium monandrum  Nutt.
Common pussypaws,   Pussy paws
Calyptridium monandrum is an annual herb that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in western North America.
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
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Bloom Period
Genus: Calyptridium
Family: Montiaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Communities: Coastal Sage Scrub, Creosote Bush Scrub, Yellow Pine Forest, Foothill Woodland, Chaparral, Joshua Tree Woodland
Name Status:
Accepted by JEF

Alternate Names:
JEFCistanthe monandra
PLANTSCistanthe monandra
Information about  Calyptridium monandrum from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
Commercial availability unknown.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (CIMO4)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[Wikipedia] Range, Description: alyptridium monandrum, synonym Cistanthe monandra,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Montiaceae known by the common name common pussypaws. The plant is native to the Southwestern United States, Southern California, and adjacent Baja California, where it grows in sandy areas such as deserts and coastal and mountain scrub habitats. Description This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Calyptridium monandrum is a fleshy, flat annual herb producing short stems which extend along the ground or spread upright from a small taproot. Thick, spoon-shaped leaves occur in a basal rosette at the base of the stem, reaching up to about 5 cm in length. There are smaller leaves along the stems. Small inflorescences sprout from the stem bearing many flowers, each with fleshy, triangular sepals and three pink or red petals only a few millimeters long. The fruit is a translucent, oblong capsule up to six millimeters long containing several shiny, black seeds. (contributed by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 04/28/2024).