Page authors: Don Knoke, David Giblin
Lewisia pygmaea
least bitterroot, alpine lewisia, dwarf lewisia
Specimens
Photos

Distribution: Occurring in the Olympic and Cascade Mountains of Washington; British Columbia south to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.

Habitat: Open, often gravelly, moist to rather dry areas, mid- to high elevations in the mountains.

Flowers: May-August

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Description:
General:

Succulent, scapose, perennial herb from a fleshy, carrot-like root 1.5-6 cm. long and up to 2 cm. thick, the several scapes 1-8 cm. long.

Leaves:

Leaves all basal, several to numerous, linear, up to 8 cm. long.

Flowers:

Scapes 1-flowered, with 2 linear, opposite bracts about mid-length; sepals 2, ovate, 2-5 mm. long, rounded, glandular-serrulate to denticulate, prominently veined, green to red; petals about 7, white or greenish-white to lavender or deep pink, 6-17 mm. long, often glandular-hairy; stamens 4-12; style 1, with 3-6 elongate stigmas.

Fruits:

Capsule about equal to the sepals.

Accepted Name:
Lewisia pygmaea (A. Gray) B.L. Rob.
Publication: Syn. Fl. N. Amer. 1: 268. 1897. 1897.

Synonyms & Misapplications:
Calandrinia grayi Britton
Calandrinia pygmaea (A. Gray)A. Gray
Lewisia exarticulata H. St. John
Lewisia glandulosa (Rydb.) Clay
Lewisia minima (A. Nelson) A. Nelson
Lewisia pygmaea (A. Gray) B.L. Rob. var. pygmaea [HC]
Lewisia pygmaeum (A. Gray) B.L. Rob. var. aridorum Bartlett
Oreobroma aridorum (Bartlett) A. Heller
Oreobroma pygmaeum (A. Gray) Howell
Talinum pygmaeum A. Gray
Additional Resources:

PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Lewisia pygmaea in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database

WA Flora Checklist: Lewisia pygmaea checklist entry

OregonFlora: Lewisia pygmaea information

E-Flora BC: Lewisia pygmaea atlas page

CalPhotos: Lewisia pygmaea photos

27 photographs:
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