Calyptridium monandrum

Calyptridium monandrum
Conservation status
Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Montiaceae
Genus:	Calyptridium
Species:	C. monandrum
Binomial name
Calyptridium monandrum Nutt.
Synonyms
Cistanthe monandra (Nutt.)Hershk.

Calyptridium monandrum, synonym Cistanthe monandra, is a species of flowering plant in the family Montiaceae known by the common name common pussypaws.

The plant is native to the Southwestern United States, Southern California, and adjacent Baja California, where it grows in sandy areas such as deserts and coastal and mountain scrub habitats.

Description

Calyptridium monandrum is a fleshy, flat annual herb producing short stems which extend along the ground or spread upright from a small taproot. Thick, spoon-shaped leaves occur in a basal rosette at the base of the stem, reaching up to about 5 cm in length. There are smaller leaves along the stems.

Small inflorescences sprout from the stem bearing many flowers, each with fleshy, triangular sepals and three pink or red petals only a few millimeters long. The fruit is a translucent, oblong capsule up to six millimeters long containing several shiny, black seeds.

External links

• Jepson Manual Treatment: Calyptridium monandrum
• Cistanthe monandra — U.C. Photo gallery