Pygmy Bitterroot
Lewisia pygmaea (Gray) B.L. Robins.
Family: Portulacaceae, Purslane
Genus: Lewisia

Description
General: low perennial, 1-8 cm tall, from a fleshy, branched
to simple and carrot-shaped root mostly 1.5-6 cm long and
0.5-2 cm thick. Flower stems usually several from the
base, with 2 opposite, linear, joined bracts at midlength.
Leaves: basal, several, fleshy, linear to oblanceolate,
5-15 cm long, 1-6 mm broad, membranous-edged along
the broad stalks.
Flowers: single on each stem. The 2 sepals ovate, 2-7
mm long, in fruit up to 12 mm, rounded or seldom pointed,
entire to strongly small-toothed and often glandular, from
fleshy and not visibly veiny to prominently veined, green to
red. Petals 5-9, often glandular-bristly, 6-17 mm long, white
or greenish-white to deep pink or somewhat lavender.
Stamens 4-12. Style branches 3-6.
Flowering time: Late May-August.
Fruits: capsules, about equal to the calyx, membranous.
Seeds 15-40, dark brown, rarely nearly black, 1-1.4 mm
long, shiny, apparently smooth but very lightly covered with
minute, warty bumps, without appendage.

Distribution
Open, often gravelly, moist to dryish areas in the mountains
to above tree line, in w. and c. parts of MT. Also from WA
to s. CA, NM and AZ.

Edible plant, see below.
(click on image for full size)

Contents
Identification
English Names Index
Scientific Names Index
Family Index
(click on images for full size)
The root of pygmy bitterroot is edible cooked. It can be steeped and boiled. It can also be dried for later use. The root is said to be extremely nutritious, though some native North American Indian tribes believed that eating it could cause insanity. It is easiest to use when the plant is in flower because the outer layer of the root (which is very bitter) slips off easily at this time of the year. The root has a good taste though a decided bitter flavor develops afterwards.

Varieties:

Our specimen belong to var. pygmaea (Gray) B.L. Robins, which has sepals mostly rounded, heavily veined, glandular-small-toothed, 2-5 mm long, and leaves which are usually linear, less than 8 cm long.

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