Montia species?

[natureboy77]

Hi,  I received this plant locally and is found in few rock garden collectors yards in the area (Graham, WA USA) USDA zone 7. Unsure of its provenance.
I would love an identification of species.  Great shade tolerant ground cover and working well in hanging fern baskets.

Thank you, Jake Pool
USDA zone 7
Graham, WA USA

[Carolyn]

Claytonia of some sort, perhaps?

[Roma]

Looks like Montia sibirica

[Maggi Young]

Montia sibirica (L.) Howell is a synonym of Claytonia sibirica L. - according to the Kew Plantlist 

I expect this is one of the North American species  Stephen Barstow eats..... 

[Ed Alverson]

Claytonia sibirica as stem leaves that are opposite, and fairly large. It is more likely that it is Montia parvifolia (still a Montia), and specifically the larger flowered, coastal var. flagellaris, which has petals that are 1 to 1.5 cm long. It is a nice mat-forming perennial with rather large flowers (for a Montia). Its typical habitat is growing on rocks and boulders along streams in the coastal rain forest of the Pacific Northwest.

Ed

[natureboy77]

Some images found online match Montia parvifolia var. flagellaris, while most show a very different plant with small leaves and pale flowers a different shape.  It adds to the mystery. This Montia  I am growing forms aboveground runners.

Montia siberica is common to the forest here and is a tasty addition to a foragers salad.

Thank all for suggestions, Jake

[natureboy77]

On this website it has the right one that seem to match the one I have, but it seems that they use the Montia parvifolia var. flagellaris and Montia par igloos interchangeable.

http://web.ewu.edu/ewflora/Montiaceae/Montia%20parvifolia.html

Either ways, this plant deserves wider use in horticulture.  It has been stellar in mossy shade garden.

[Ed Alverson]

On this website it has the right one that seem to match the one I have, but it seems that they use the Montia parvifolia var. flagellaris and Montia par igloos interchangeable.

It appears that recent references don't distinguish between var. parvifolia and var. flagellaris, which explains the great variation in the photos you are seeing. The Flora of North America treatment (from 2003) says:

"Montia parvifolia is a variable diploid and tetraploid species. Plants with larger flowers, leaves, and seeds have been treated as var. flagellaris (Bongard) C. L. Hitchcock or as the separate species M. sweetseri Henderson. Because the complex has not been studied using modern methods, and the variation observed in herbarium specimens has no correlated geographical base, I adopt the position of K. L. Chambers (1993) and do not recognize the two above-mentioned taxa at this time. I equate the species situation here to that of M. fontana and choose not to recognize infraspecific taxa"

I interpret this statement as saying that more research needs to be done to answer some unresolved questions. For now I think it is fine to call your plant var. flagellaris, and it would be especially helpful to do so if you are sharing plants or seeds with other. I think we need a graduate student to do some research!

Ed


I don't know the details of why the vars. have been combined, but the researcher who has done this has some 4 decades of experience studying Montia and Claytonia,

[natureboy77]

Thank you for that information.  This form I am growing is definitely more robust and larger flowered. maybe it is a tetraploid form.   
I will use the var. flagella when labeling and sharing until the taxonomists agree Do they ever.

Thank you,
 Jake Pool