''Lewisia'' is a plant

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

, named for the American explorer

Meriwether Lewis Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 – October 11, 1809) was an American explorer, soldier, politician, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery, with ...

(1774-1809) who encountered the species in 1806. The native habitat of ''Lewisia'' species is north facing cliffs in

western North America Western North America is the western edge of the North American continent that borders the Pacific Ocean. It consists of Alaska at the farthest north, down through the western Canadian province of British Columbia, the western U.S. states of Wa ...

. Local Native Americans ate the roots, which have also been used to treat sore throats.

Characteristics

Lewisias are

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

to western North American habitats including rocky outcrops from the high elevation alpine to lower elevation

chaparral Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant community and geographical feature found primarily in the U.S. state of California, in southern Oregon, and in the northern portion of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. It is shaped by a Mediterranean c ...

, oak woodlands, and coniferous forests. They produce rosette-shaped flowers in a range of different colours. ''Lewisia cotyledon'' grow up to in height and width. About half of the species of ''Lewisia'' are

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

, including the original ''

Lewisia rediviva Bitterroot (''Lewisia rediviva'') is a small perennial herb in the family Montiaceae. Its specific epithet ("revived, reborn") refers to its ability to regenerate from dry and seemingly dead roots. The genus ''Lewisia'' was moved in 2009 fro ...

''. ''Lewisia longipetala'' is the only

semi-deciduous Semi-deciduous or semi-evergreen is a botanical term which refers to plants that lose their foliage for a very short period, when old leaves fall off and new foliage growth is starting. This phenomenon occurs in tropical and sub-tropical woody spec ...

species. Some species, such as ''Lewisia cotyledon'', are

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

Taxonomy

, of

Lewis and Clark Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * "Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohead ...

fame, is credited with the first discovery by a European or American of ''Lewisia'', which was known to the local Native Americans as

bitterroot Bitterroot (''Lewisia rediviva'') is a small perennial herb in the family Montiaceae. Its specific epithet ("revived, reborn") refers to its ability to regenerate from dry and seemingly dead roots. The genus ''Lewisia'' was moved in 2009 fro ...

. Lewis discovered the specimen in 1806 at Lolo Creek, in the mountain range that became known as the

Bitterroot Mountains The Northern and Central Bitterroot Range, collectively the Bitterroot Mountains (Salish: čkʷlkʷqin), is the largest portion of the Bitterroot Range, part of the Rocky Mountains and Idaho Batholith, located in the panhandle of Idaho and west ...

. The plant was given its scientific name, ''Lewisia rediviva'', by

Frederick Traugott Pursh Frederick Traugott Pursh (or Friedrich Traugott Pursch) (February 4, 1774 – July 11, 1820) was a German people, German–United States, American botanist. Born in Großenhain, Saxony, under the name Friedrich Traugott Pursh, he was educated at ...

List of species

There are nineteen species and several varieties of ''Lewisia'', including:Unless otherwise sourced all items in this list use: * ''

Lewisia brachycalyx ''Lewisia brachycalyx'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Montiaceae, known by the common name short-sepal bitter-root or shortsepal lewisia. It is native to the mountains of the southwestern United States and Baja California, where i ...

Engelm. George Engelmann, also known as Georg Engelmann, (2 February 1809 – 4 February 1884) was a German-American botanist. He was instrumental in describing the flora (plants), flora of the west of North America, then very poorly known to Europeans; ...

A.Gray Asa Gray (November 18, 1810 – January 30, 1888) is considered the most important American botanist of the 19th century. His '' Darwiniana'' was considered an important explanation of how religion and science were not necessarily mutually exc ...

: United States (

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

), Mexico (

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

) * ''

Lewisia cantelovii ''Lewisia cantelovii'' is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the family Montiaceae known by the common name Cantelow's lewisia. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the northeastern mountain ranges from the Klamath Mountains ...

'' J.T.Howell: USA (California,

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

) * ''

Lewisia columbiana ''Lewisia columbiana'', the Columbian lewisia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Montiaceae. It is native to the western United States and British Columbia, where it grows in rocky mountain habitats. Description This herbaceous pere ...

'' ( J.T.Howell ex

) B.L.Rob. ** ''Lewisia columbiana'' var. ''columbiana'': Canada (

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

), USA (

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

) ** ''Lewisia columbiana'' var. ''rupicola'' (

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

) C.L.Hitchc.: Canada (British Columbia), USA (Washington, Oregon) ** ''Lewisia columbiana'' var. ''wallowensis'' C.L.Hitchc.: USA (

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

, Oregon) * ''

Lewisia congdonii ''Lewisia congdonii'', known by the common name Congdon's lewisia, is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Montiaceae. Description ''Lewisia congdonii'' is a perennial herb growing from a short, thick taproot and caudex unit. It prod ...

'' ( Rydb.) S.Clay: USA (California) * ''

Lewisia cotyledon ''Lewisia cotyledon'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Montiaceae known by the common names Siskiyou lewisia and cliff maids. It is native to southern Oregon and northern California, where it grows in rocky subalpine mountain habitat ...

'' ( S.Watson) B.L.Rob. ** ''Lewisia cotyledon'' var. ''cotyledon'': USA (Oregon, California) ** ''Lewisia cotyledon'' var. ''heckneri'' ( C.V.Morton)

Munz Munz may refer to: People * Bernhard Münz (1856–1919), Austrian philosopher and librarian * Peter Munz (1921–2006), German-New Zealander philosopher and historian * Philip A. Munz (1892-1974), U.S. botanist, taxonomist and educator * Mieczy ...

: USA (California) ** ''Lewisia cotyledon'' var. ''howellii'' ( S.Watson) Jeps.: USA (Oregon, California) * '' Lewisia disepala'' Rydb.: USA (California) * '' Lewisia glandulosa'' ( Rydb.) Dempster : USA (California) * '' Lewisia kelloggii'' K.Brandegee ** ''Lewisia kelloggii'' var. ''hutchinsonii'' Dempster: USA (California) ** ''Lewisia kelloggii'' var. ''kelloggii'': USA (California, Idaho) * '' Lewisia leeana'' (

Porter Porter may refer to: Companies * Porter Airlines, Canadian regional airline based in Toronto * Porter Chemical Company, a defunct U.S. toy manufacturer of chemistry sets * Porter Motor Company, defunct U.S. car manufacturer * H.K. Porter, Inc., ...

) B.L.Rob.: USA (California, Oregon) * ''

Lewisia longipetala ''Lewisia longipetala'' is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Montiaceae known by the common names long-petalled lewisia and Truckee lewisia. It is Endemism, endemic to the Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra Nevada of California, where it ...

'' (

Piper Piper may refer to: People * Piper (given name) * Piper (surname) Arts and entertainment Fictional characters Comics * Piper (Morlock), in the Marvel Universe * Piper (Mutate), in the Marvel Universe Television * Piper Chapman, lea ...

) S.Clay: USA (California) * '' Lewisia maguirei'' A.H.Holmgren: USA (Nevada) * '' Lewisia nevadensis'' (

) B.L.Rob.: USA (Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah,

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

) * '' Lewisia oppositifolia'' ( S.Watson) B.L.Rob.: USA (Oregon, California) * ''

Lewisia pygmaea ''Lewisia pygmaea'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Montiaceae known by the common name alpine lewisia and pygmy bitterroot. It is native to western North America from Alaska and Alberta to California and New Mexico, where it grows ...

'' (

) B.L.Rob.: Canada (

Yukon Territory Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...

, British Columbia), USA (

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, California, Arizona) * ''

Pursh The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often voc ...

(

Bitterroot Bitterroot (''Lewisia rediviva'') is a small perennial herb in the family Montiaceae. Its specific epithet ("revived, reborn") refers to its ability to regenerate from dry and seemingly dead roots. The genus ''Lewisia'' was moved in 2009 fro ...

; the state flower of

) ** ''Lewisia rediviva'' var. ''minor'' ( Rydb.)

: USA (California, Nevada, Utah) ** ''Lewisia rediviva'' var. ''rediviva'': Canada (British Columbia), USA (Montana, Washington, Oregon, Idaho,

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, California, Arizona) * ''

Lewisia sacajaweana ''Lewisia sacajaweana'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Montiaceae known by the common name Sacajawea's bitterroot. It is endemic to Idaho, where it is known from approximately two dozen sites, with about 75 percent of them in Boise ...

'' B.L.Wilson: USA (Idaho) * '' Lewisia serrata'' Heckard & Stebbins : USA (California) * '' Lewisia stebbinsii'' Gankin & W.R.Hildreth: USA (California) * '' Lewisia triphylla'' ( S.Watson) B.L.Rob.: Canada (British Columbia), USA (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, California, Arizona) * '' Lewisia ×whiteae'' Purdy: USA (Oregon) – hybrid of ''Lewisia leeana'' and ''Lewisia cotyledon''

Distribution and habitat

Lewisias are naturally found in western parts of

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. In their native habitat of north-facing cliffs, lewisias are subject to extremes in weather conditions.

Uses

All species of ''Lewisia'' are edible. ''Lewisia rediviva'' has a large edible root and as a result became a food source for local Native Americans. The root is peeled before boiling or steaming; cooking the root reduces its bitterness. ''L. rediviva'' has also been used for medicinal purposes; chewing the root was used to relieve a sore throat. It has also been used to promote milk flow during

lactation Lactation describes the secretion of milk from the mammary glands and the period of time that a mother lactates to feed her young. The process naturally occurs with all sexually mature female mammals, although it may predate mammals. The proces ...

. For gardening, ''Lewisia'' species are usually planted in rockeries, because this mimics their natural habitat. Rockeries also provide the free drainage that lewisias need to prevent their roots rotting. They may also be planted in pots, though they need to be well drained and protected from sustained wet weather.

Characteristics

Taxonomy

List of species

Distribution and habitat

Uses

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links