Miner's Lettuce Sub-Species! The 30th Flower of Spring!

[best appreciated at full size against black]

The other day I mentioned finding several new flowers in one small area, and here is one of them! When it came time to identify it, two things happened: the first thing was that I couldn't figure out what it was. The second thing was that I had a nagging feeling that I new what it was all along. Sometimes things are so obvious you don't see them...like looking for the butter in the refrigerator and it's right there in front of your nose and you can't find it! I finally threw my hands up in frustration, tossed my flower books aside, and went back down to where I found this flower. When I took a close look, I exclaimed outloud, "IT'S A MINER'S LETTUCE SPECIES!! NO WONDER I THOUGHT IT LOOKED FAMILIAR!! This flower is different in three ways: the flower is a slightly different shape, the blossom grows high above the leaf which resembles a lily pad, and that leaf is very small compared to the other type. It's possible that this is actually the same species but I really doubt it becuase they are so different from one another.

Miner's Lettuce is a fleshy annual plant native to the western mountain and coastal regions of North America from southernmost Alaska and central British Columbia south to Central America, but most common in California in the Sacramento and northern San Joaquin valleys. It grows in cool, damp areas on our property in Southern Oregon in the early spring to about May or whenever it begins to get dry and warm. It gets its name because it was eaten by miners during the Goldrush era to prevent scurvy and provide vitamin C. It has a delicate flavor and can be mixed into salad greens. It is sometimes boiled, and then has the flavor and consistency of spinach. This plant was introduced in western Europe in 1749 and has been widely naturalized there.

If you would like more information about this wonderful plant, Wiki has a great source here: Wiki: Miner's Lettuce, Claytonia perfoliata

This image was taken in April, 2012.