Lewisia cotyledon

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Ordo: Caryophyllales

Familia: Montiaceae
Genus: Lewisia
Species: Lewisia cotyledon
Varieties: L. c. var. howellii
Name

Lewisia cotyledon (S.Watson) B.L.Rob.
References

A. Gray, Syn. fl. N. Amer. 1(1):268. 1897
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Lewisia cotyledon in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 09-Oct-10.

Vernacular names
English: Siskiyou lewisia, cliff maids.

Lewisia cotyledon is a species of flowering plant in the family Montiaceae known by the common names Siskiyou lewisia and cliff maids. It is native to southern Oregon and northern California, where it grows in rocky subalpine mountain habitat.

Description

It is an evergreen perennial growing from a thick taproot and caudex unit. It produces a basal rosette of many thick, fleshy oval- or spoon-shaped leaves up to 9 cm (4 in) long.

The specific epithet cotyledon ("small cup") refers to the shape of the leaves.[1]

Flowering from spring to summer,[2] the inflorescence arises on one or more stems 10–30 cm (4–12 in) tall, each stem bearing an array of up to 50 flowers.

Near the flowers are small, pointed bracts tipped with resin glands. The flower has 7 to 13 petals, each about 1.5 centimeters long. The petals may be pale pink with darker veining, whitish with pinkish orange striping, or solid orange to yellow.
Award

This plant[3] and the Sunset group of cultivars[4] have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[5] It is hardy down to −10 °C (14 °F), and prefers a shaded position in acidic or neutral soil.[3]
References

Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. p. 224. ISBN 9781845337315.
RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1405332965.
"Lewisia cotyledon". www.rhs.org. Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
"RHS Plantfinder - Lewisia Sunset Group". Retrieved 22 March 2018.
"AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 60. Retrieved 22 March 2018.