Stebbins' lewisia

Description

Lewisia stebbinsii is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Montiaceae known by the common name Stebbins' lewisia. It is endemic to California, where it is known from less than fifteen sites in the Inner North Coast Ranges of Mendocino and Trinity Counties, mainly in Mendocino National Forest. This is a perennial herb growing from a slender taproot and caudex unit. It produces a basal rosette of several fleshy, narrow leaves up to about 9 centimeters long. The inflorescence is made up of several prostrate stems extending from the rosette, each bearing 3 or more flowers. The flower has 7 to 10 pink to red petals with blunt or jagged tips 1 to 1.5 centimeters long. Lewisia is a plant genus, named for the American explorer Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809) who encountered the species in 1806. The native habitat of Lewisia species is north facing cliffs in western North America. Local Native Americans ate the roots, which have also been used to treat sore throats. Lewisias are perennial flowering plants native to western North American habitats including rocky outcrops from the high elevation alpine to lower elevation chaparral, oak woodlands, and coniferous forests. They produce rosette-shaped flowers in a range of different colours. Lewisia cotyledon grow up to 0.5 metres (1.6 ft) in height and width. About half of the species of Lewisia are deciduous, including the original Lewisia rediviva. Lewisia longipetala is the only semi-deciduous species. Some species, such as Lewisia cotyledon, are evergreen. Meriwether Lewis, of Lewis and Clark fame, is credited with the first discovery by a European or American of Lewisia, which was known to the local Native Americans as bitterroot. Lewis discovered the specimen in 1806 at Lolo Creek, in the mountain range that became known as the Bitterroot Mountains.The plant was given its scientific name, Lewisia rediviva, by Frederick Traugott Pursh.