Cistanthe monandra
Encyclopedia
Cistanthe monandra is a species of flowering plant in the purslane family
known by the common name Common Pussypaws. It is native to the southwestern United States and adjacent Baja California
, where it grows in sandy areas such as deserts and coastal and mountain scrub habitats. This 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 inflorescence
s sprout from the stem bearing many flowers, each with fleshy, triangular sepal
s 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.
Portulacaceae
Portulacaceae are a family of flowering plants, comprising about 20 genera with about 500 species, ranging from herbaceous plants to shrubs. The family has been recognised by most taxonomists, and is also known as the purslane family; it has a cosmopolitan distribution, with the highest diversity...
known by the common name Common Pussypaws. It is native to the southwestern United States and adjacent Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
, where it grows in sandy areas such as deserts and coastal and mountain scrub habitats. This is a fleshy, flat annual herb producing short stems which extend along the ground or spread upright from a small taproot
Taproot
A taproot is an enlarged, somewhat straight to tapering plant root that grows vertically downward. It forms a center from which other roots sprout laterally.Plants with taproots are difficult to transplant...
. 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 inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s sprout from the stem bearing many flowers, each with fleshy, triangular sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s 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.