Cistanthe

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Cistanthe
Cistanthe umbellata at Mount Rainier National Park
Cistanthe sp. at Yosemite National Park
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Montiaceae
Genus:	Cistanthe Spach
Species
45-50 - See text.

Cistanthe is a plant genus which includes most plants known as pussypaws. These are small, succulent flowering plants which often bear brightly colored flowers, though they vary quite a bit between species in appearance. Some species have flowers that are tightly packed into fluffy-looking inflorescences, the trait that gives them their common name. Many are adapted to arid environments, with some able to withstand climates that almost completely lack rainfall. Cistanthe was a genus created to segregate several species previously classified in Calandrinia. Several species from other closely related genera have been moved into Cistanthe as well.

Species[]

As of March 2021, Plants of the World Online accepted the following species:

Species now placed in Calyptridium:

• Cistanthe parryi - Parry's pussypaws, synonym of Calyptridium parryi
• Cistanthe pulchella - Mariposa pussypaws, synonym of Calyptridium pulchellum
• Cistanthe pygmaea - pygmy pussypaws, synonym of Calyptridium pygmaeum
• Cistanthe quadripetala - fourpetal pussypaws, synonym of Calyptridium quadripetalum

References[]

Further reading[]

• Hershkovitz, M. A. (1991). Phylogenetic assessment and revised circumscription of Cistanthe Spach (Portulacaceae). Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 78(4) 1009-21