About Claytonia rubra (Howell) Tidestr.
Claytonia rubra, commonly called redstem springbeauty, is most often a spring annual, though it occasionally grows as an overwintering biennial. Overwintering individuals produce an extremely small tuber. Its stems range from 1 to 20 centimeters in length. All of the plant's basal leaves, which grow directly from the plant base, are attached via tapering petioles (leaf stems). These leaves form a rosette that typically lies flat against the ground, and is occasionally somewhat erect. Stems and leaf blades may be green, pink, or deep beet-red. There are usually 12 to 48 leaves total, though counts can be as low as two, and overwintering plants may have more than 48 leaves. Leaf shape varies from narrowly rhombic (diamond-shaped, attached at one narrow angle) to ovate (egg-shaped, with the widest portion near the base); leaves may also be spatulate (spoon-shaped) or trullate (shaped like a mason's trowel). Leaf dimensions measure 0.2–2 centimeters long by 0.2–2.5 centimeters wide. This species also has leaves on its flowering stems; these leaves may be rounded or squared, and sometimes fuse together to form a bowl surrounding the stem, with a diameter of 0.5–10 centimeters. Published descriptions and taxonomic treatments note all leaves have blunt (obtuse) tips. Each inflorescence bears a single leaf-like bract that measures 0.3–8 millimeters long. The flowers are very small, only 2–5 millimeters in diameter, with petals 2–3 millimeters long. Flower color ranges from white to pink-tinted. Redstem springbeauty grows across much of the western United States and extends into British Columbia, western Canada. In British Columbia, it occurs in the Okanogan Region and on Vancouver Island. Its native range covers most of Washington and Oregon on both sides of the Cascade Range, though it is more common east of the range. In California, the species grows throughout all mountainous areas of the state, including the North Coast, Klamath Ranges, north and south Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada, Transverse Ranges, Warner Mountains, and White Mountains. The southernmost known population is located on Mount Pinos, California. East of California in Nevada, redstem springbeauty occurs in many of the state's mountain ranges, including Pine Forest, the Ruby Mountains, Santa Rosa, East Humboldt, Wild Horse, Monitor, Wassuk, and the Independence Mountains. It has been recorded across most of Idaho, is found mostly in western Montana, and occurs at a few widespread locations in Wyoming. In Utah, it grows in mountainous areas including the Canyon Mountains, Pahvant Range, Pine Valley Mountains, Tushar Mountains, and Wasatch Range. It also grows in the Black Hills of South Dakota. In Colorado, it is only known from three Front Range counties: Douglas, Jefferson, and Boulder. Experiments show redstem springbeauty has a preference for a specific elevation; when grown at other elevations, fewer plants emerge and individuals reach smaller sizes.
