Claytonia perfoliata – “Miners Lettuce”

Also Known As: Indian Lettuce, Spring Beauty, Winter Purslane
Other Botanical Names: Montia perfoliata
Family: Purslane (Portulaceae)
Bloom Period: Feb-May
Form: Annual herb
Habitat: Wide variety of habitats, mostly in the shade of larger plants
Leaves: Elliptic; mostly basal, fused in pairs behind flowers
Translation: “Claytonia” is named for John Clayton (1694?-1773/1774), “the greatest American botanist of his day”; “perfoliata” is Latin and refers to the way the stem ‘perforates’ the leaf; “Montia” is named for Giuseppe Monti (1682-1760), an Italian botany professor.
Notes: Called “Miner’s Lettuce” because California Gold Rush miners ate it for Vitamin C to prevent scurvy, in the absence of other fresh vegetables and fruits. Found in the coastal and mountainous regions of western North America from Alaska to Central America. Introduced to Europe in the 1700’s and now widely distributed there, too.
Native American Uses: Native Americans through this plant’s wide range ate the leaves. The Shoshone made a poultice from the leaves for alleviating rheumatic pain.