54 
PLANTS OP YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK 
grant. The involucre is composed of distinct bracts, and the calyx 
is tubular but five-lobed. 
PURSLANE EAMILY (PORTULACACEAE) 
The plants of this family have simple, entire leaves and are more 
or less fleshy. The family contains some rather pernicious weeds, 
but also some very beautiful flowers. The flowers open only in sun¬ 
light or on very bright days. 
Springbeauty ( Claytonia lanceolata). —This plant usually has one 
basal leaf, which is petioled, and a single pair of opposite leaves on 
the stem. The leaves are oblong or elliptic in shape. The white or 
pinkish flowers are produced in a raceme between the paired leaves. 
Each flower has 2 persist¬ 
ent sepals, 5 petals, 5 sta¬ 
mens, and 1 pistil with a 
3-cleft style. 
Claytonia multiccmlis is 
similar but usually has 
several leaves. 
Montia chamissonis is 
usually found in cold, 
springy, or boggy places. 
The stems are 4 to 12 
inches long and rather 
weak. They often root at 
the nodes and frequently 
produce bulblets on the ends of short branches or in the axils of the 
lower leaves. The small, white flowers are produced in axillary or 
terminal racemes. The leaves are oblong, about half an inch long, 
and somewhat fleshy. 
Pussypaws ( Spraguea multiceps) is a low, branching herb with 
stems 1 to 5 inches long, small leaves with short, thick petioles, and 
flowers in dense, headlike clusters. 
Bitterroot ( Lewisia rediviva).— The State flower of Montana. It 
produces a basal cluster of linear or oblong, smooth, and slightly 
fleshy leaves and a short, one-flowered stem. The flower is large and 
varies from rose-pink to white. It has 6 or 8 sepals, about the same 
number of petals, 5 to 40 stamens, and 3 to 8 style branches. 
The other two species that are found in the park have very much 
smaller flowers with only 2 sepals. Leivisia minima has narrowly 
linear leaves and white flowers while Lewisia pygmaea has broader 
leaves and rose-red flowers. 
Figure 35.—Bitterroot. Rose. Photograph by Dr. 
Frank R. Oastler. 
