Participant Info

Species

Lewisia pygmaea [Oreobroma pygmaea] [Talinum pygmaeum]

Family

Montiaceae

CommonName

alpine lewisia, pygmy bitterroot

Presence

YES

Status

native

EarliestDate

1900

LatestDate

2020

Ecosystem

montane, subalpine, tundra

Geobotanical

SSawatch, Garitas, SSanjuans, NCristos

Counties

Conejos, Costilla, Hinsdale, Mineral, Rio Grande, San Juan

Passes

Cumbres, Grayback, Stony, Wolf Creek

WildlifePreserves

Big Meadows Reservoir

Other Localities

PhotoRecords

YES Rich Haswell: Mineral Co, CO Big Meadows Reservoir north side 28 May 2016

Comments

Alpine lewisia has been recorded fairly often from the mountains on the west side of the Valley, but only once from the northern Cristos. It is not yet known from the Culebras, but there are a number of occurrences in the continuation of the Cristos into New Mexico. Lewisia pygmaea is a tundra and subalpine species that occasionally has been found in the montane—in a variety of habitats, open and forested. It has been found in all USA states west of the Great Plains. It follows the Rio Grande drainage to Santa Fe Co, New Mexico, but no farther.

Annotation