Kingdom Plantae Family Portulacaceae Scientific name Montia howellii Rank Species | Order Caryophyllales Genus Montia Higher classification Montia | |
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Similar Montia, Montia chamissoi, Montia linearis, Montia parvifolia, Portulacaceae | ||
Montia howellii is a species of flowering plant in the purslane family known by the common names Howell's miner's lettuce and Howell's montia. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to northern California, where it grows in moist to wet habitat, including vernal pools and meadows. It sometimes grows in shallow standing water such as puddles.
Description
It is a small, low, mat-forming annual herb growing up to about 9 centimeters in maximum length. The linear or lance-shaped, sometimes grasslike, leaves are alternately arranged and measure up to 2.5 centimeters in length. The inflorescence bears 2 to 6 minute flowers with oval green sepals no more than 2 millimeters long and white petals less than a millimeter in length. The flower is usually cleistogamous, self-fertilizing and sometimes never even opening.