The colors below indicate the kind of documentation available for this species
in the California counties where it occurs.
Pussypaws Calyptridium umbellatum (Portulacaceae)
The individual flowers are tightly packed along a curved stem which is shaped like a scorpion's tail. The sepals are kidney shaped with a paper-thin margin. The petals are smaller than the sepals and are practically hidden from view. The persistence of petals on developing capsules of Pussypaws is unusual but not unique among flowering plants. The significance of this phenomenon is unknown but may serve a protective function.
DISTRIBUTION: Open sandy to rocky soils in coniferous forests and alpine habitats from the Klamath, Cascade, and High North Coast Ranges to the Sierra Nevada, southwest San Francisco Bay Area, and Great Basin Province; (100)1500-4300 m.
