Weed Information: Claytonia perfoliata (miner's lettuce)
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Claytonia perfoliata (miner's lettuce)

Family: Portulacaceae

Description

One of the most commonly known wild edible plants. The stem leaves appear to be circular with the stem passing through their center; the specific epithet `perfoliata` means `through the leaf.` The flowers have 5 white to pink petals but only 2 sepals. The seedling photo in the 2000 edition of Weeds of the West is most likely Claytonia rubra rather than Claytonia perfoliata.

Characteristics

Flower Color
  • White
Inflorescence Type (How the flowers are arranged on the plant)
  • Terminal raceme
Number of Petals
  • 5 petals
Petal Separation
  • Completely free to base
  • United at base only (<25% length)
Petal Tip
  • Rounded
Flower Symmetry
  • Flowers regular
Flower Length (Head length in the Asteraceae)
  • 3 mm (.12 inch)
  • 4 mm (.16 inch)
  • 5 mm (.20 inch)
  • 6 mm (.24 inch)
Flower Width (Head width in the Asteraceae)
  • 4 mm (.16 inch)
  • 5 mm (.20 inch)
  • 6 mm (.24 inch)
  • 7 mm (.28 inch)
  • 8 mm (.32 inch)
Number of Sepals
  • 2 sepals
Sepal Separation
  • Completely free to base
Sepal Tip
  • Pointed
Flower Sex
  • Bisexual (perfect)
Number of Styles
  • 2 styles
  • 3 styles
Number of Stamens
  • 3 stamens
  • 4 stamens
  • 5 stamens
Stamens Attached to the Petals
  • Stamens attached to the petals
Stamens Connate (united)
  • Filaments or anthers NOT united

Carpel Separation
  • Carpels united (or one)
Number of Carpels
  • 2 carpels
  • 3 carpels
Ovary Position
  • Superior (hypogynous)
Fruit Type
  • Capsule, 1-celled
  • Capsule, 2-celled
  • Capsule, 3-celled
Fruit Length at Maturity
  • 2 mm (.08 inch)
  • 3 mm (.12 inch)
  • 4 mm (.16 inch)
  • 5 mm (.20 inch)
  • 6 mm (.24 inch)
Fruit Width at Maturity
  • 2 mm (.08 inch)
  • 3 mm (.12 inch)
  • 4 mm (.16 inch)
  • 5 mm (.20 inch)
  • 6 mm (.24 inch)
Burs
  • Fruit or seed NOT bur-like

Leaf Arrangement
  • All basal
  • Opposite
Leaf Type
  • Simple (including lobed leaves)
Stipules
  • Lacking
Tendrils
  • Tendrils absent
Venation
  • Palmate
Petiole (leaf stem) Blade Ratio
  • Petiole absent (leaf sessile)
  • Petiole > 75% total length
Leaf Length (blade PLUS petiole)
  • 1 - 2 cm (.40 - .80 inch)
  • 2 - 4 cm (.80 - 1.60 inches)
  • 4 - 10 cm (1.60 - 4.0 inches)
  • 1 - 2 dm (4.0 - 8.0 inches)
Leaf Width
  • 1 - 5 mm (.04 - .20 inch)
  • 5 - 10 mm (.20 - .40 inch)
  • 1 - 2 cm (.40 - .80 inch)
  • 2 - 4 cm (.80 - 1.6 inches)
Leaf Shape (simple leaves only)
  • Deltoid (triangular)
  • Elliptic
  • Oblong
  • Obovate
  • Orbicular (round)
  • Oval
  • Ovate
Succulence
  • Succulent
  • Not succulent
Leaf or Leaflet Margin
  • Entire
Leaf or Leaflet Blade Base
  • Acute (cuneate)
  • Perfoliate
  • Rounded
Leaf or Leaflet Tip
  • Acute
  • Rounded (obtuse)
Leaf or Leaflet Blade Surface
  • Glabrous (NO hairs)

Milky Juice
  • Juice NOT milky (watery)
Woodiness
  • Herbaceous
Spines or Thorns
  • Spines or Thorns ABSENT
Aromatic (vegetative structures)
  • Not aromatic
Life Cycle
  • Annual
Growth Habit (while flowering)
  • Spreading ascending
  • Erect, columnar (narrow)
  • Erect, spherical (bushy)
Plant Height at Maturity
  • 5 - 10 cm (2.0 - 4.0 inches)
  • 1 - 2 dm (4.0 - 8.0 inches)
  • 2 - 4 dm (8.0 - 16.0 inches)
Wind Dissemination
  • Not wind disseminated
Moisture Regime
  • Seasonally saturated
  • Mesic
Chlorophyll
  • Present

Stem Cross Section
  • Round
Flowering Stem Leaves
  • Stem uniformly leafy
Main Stem Branches
  • Main stem unbranched
  • Main stem branched

Root or Vegetative Propagule
  • Fibrous
  • Tap Root

US State
  • Georgia
  • New Hampshire
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Idaho
  • Montana
  • Nevada
  • Oregon
  • South Dakota
  • Utah
  • Washington
  • Wyoming
Canadian Province or Territory
  • British Columbia

  • California Growers Weed Identification Handbook, 1968 - 1998 University of California Publication # 4030-1, See page: 54
  • Garden Weeds of Southern California, 1981, See page: 40
  • Gilkey`s Weeds of the Pacific Northwest, 1980 (ISBN 0-88246-039-0) See page: 91
  • Weeds of California, 1970, State of California Publications and Documents. See page: 172
  • Weeds of California and other Western States, 2007 (ISBN 13: 978-1-879906-69-3) See Page: 1366
  • Weeds of Eastern Washington and Adjacent Areas, 1972 (LOC 72-83635) See page: 102
  • Weeds of the West, 1992 (ISBN 0941570-13-4) See page: 520
  • Weeds of the West, 2000 (ISBN 0941570-13-4) See page: 514
  • Listed as a `Weed` by the Biota of North America Program, 2008 X
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