Alpine springbeauty

Description

Claytonia megarhiza is a species of wildflower in the Montiaceae family known by the common names fell-fields claytonia and alpine springbeauty. It is native to western North America from northwestern Canada to New Mexico, where it grows in talus habitats in subalpine and alpine climates. This is a perennial herb growing from a thick, scaly caudex topped with a stem a few centimeters in maximum length. The fleshy basal leaves form a dense rosette about the caudex. The leaves are red when new and turn green as they slowly produce chlorophyll. The inflorescence appears within the patch of leaves. It is a dense cluster of 2 to 6 pink and white flowers, the petals up to two centimeters long.