Calandrinia ciliata is a species of flowering plant known as fringed redmaids[3] and red-maids.[4] While formerly included in the Purslane family,[5] it is now treated as a member of the family Montiaceae.[6]

It is native to western North America from British Columbia to New Mexico and Guatemala, where it is widespread and common. It can also be found in western and southern South America, from Venezuela and Colombia through the Andean countries to southern Argentina and Chile. It has been introduced to the Falkland Islands.[2]

In the Falkland Islands iT is known by the synonym Calandrinia feltonii, and by the common name Felton's flower. It is named after Arthur Felton, a resident of the Falkland Islands, who sent specimens of the plant in 1910 to Swedish botanist Carl Skottsberg. It nearly became extinct in the wild on the islands through overgrazing.[7]

Description

Calandrinia ciliata is an annual herb which varies greatly in size from a small patch a few centimeters wide to an erect form approaching 40 cm (16 in) tall. The linear or lance-shaped leaves are 1 to 10 cm (0.39 to 3.94 in) long and slightly succulent in texture.

The inflorescence is a raceme bearing flowers on short pedicels. The flower has usually five deep pink to red petals, each up to 1.4 cm (0.55 in) in length. There are two sepals at the base beneath the petals.

This is a hardy plant well adapted to many habitats and climate types. Where it is an introduced species, it is known as a minor weed.[8]

References

  1. ^ "NatureServe Explorer - Calandrinia ciliata". NatureServe Explorer Calandrinia ciliata. NatureServe. 2022-05-30. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  2. ^ a b Calandrinia ciliata (Ruiz & Pav.) DC. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  3. ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Calandrinia ciliata". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
  4. ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  5. ^ "Calandrinia ciliata". ucjeps.berkeley.edu. Jepson eFlora. 1993. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  6. ^ "Calandrinia". ucjeps.berkeley.edu. Jepson eFlora. 2014. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  7. ^ Hince, Bernadette (2000). The Antarctic dictionary: a complete guide to Antarctic English. Melbourne: CSIRO Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9577471-1-1. p.127.
  8. ^ UC Davis IPM

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