About Lewisia kelloggii K.Brandegee
Lewisia kelloggii K.Brandegee is a species of flowering plant in the family Montiaceae, commonly known as Kellogg's lewisia. This species is endemic to California's Sierra Nevada, where it has been recorded from several high-elevation mountain sites. It grows in rocky mountain habitats, on granite and slate substrates. It is a perennial herb that grows from a thick, short taproot and caudex. It forms a basal rosette of many thick, leathery spoon-shaped leaves, which can reach up to 9 centimeters (3.5 inches) in length. The inflorescence produces several flowers, each borne on a very short stalk. Each flower has 5 to 13 shiny white or pinkish petals just over one centimeter long. Beneath the petals are two sepals and two similar bracts that are lined with spherical resin glands. Populations of Lewisia in Idaho's Sawtooth Range were previously classified as this species, but genetic analysis has shown they are distinct enough to be recognized as a separate species, named Lewisia sacajaweana, or Sacajawea's bitterroot.
