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Taxon  Report  
Claytonia lanceolata  Pursh
Lanceleaf springbeauty,   Western spring beauty,   Western springbeauty
Claytonia lanceolata is a perennial 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: Claytonia
Family: Montiaceae  
(Portulacaceae)
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Wetlands: Equally likely to occur in wetlands and non wetlands

Habitat: streambanks

Communities: Red Fir Forest, Lodgepole Forest, Subalpine Forest, wetland-riparian

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS

Alternate Names:
JEFClaytonia lanceolata var. peirsonii
JEFClaytonia lanceolata var. sessilifolia
Information about  Claytonia lanceolata from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
Commercial availability unknown.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (CLLA2)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[Wikipedia] Culinary Uses: The entire plant is edible raw or cooked,[5] including the potato-like corm from which it grows.[6] Some report that the bulbs must be cooked to remove toxins.[3] Native Americans ate the roots and pods, which can be cooked and eaten like potatoes.[7] The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked.[8] The Okanogan-Colville, Okanogan, and Nlaka'pamux Native American peoples used the tuber of this plant for food and for animal fodder. (link added by Mary Ann Machi)

[Wikipedia] Habitat, Description, Growth Pattern: This somewhat rare plant[2] is native to western North America, growing in the sagebrush steppe[3] and foothills up to alpine slopes. It thrives in the rocky soil of alpine climates where the snow never melts.[4] It is a perennial herb growing from a tuber one to three centimeters wide. It produces a short, erect stem reaching a maximum height of 15 cm (6 in).[3] At its smallest the plant bears only its first two rounded leaves before flowering and dying back. Its thick leaves are helpful for storing water. If it continues to grow it produces two thick, lance-shaped leaves further up the stem.[3] The star-shaped flowers come in inflorescences of three to fifteen blooms and they are white or pink, often with veiny stripes[3] and yellow blotches near the base of each petal. The fruit is a small capsule containing a few seeds, which are black and shiny.[2] (link added 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: 12/04/2024).