Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Cistanthe rosea (formerly Calyptridium roseum) is a species of flowering plant in the purslane family commonly known as rosy pussypaws. It is native to the western United States from California to Wyoming, where it grows in forest and scrub. It is an annual herb, often reddish or pink in color, producing stems just a few centimeters long. The leaves are located in a rosette at the base and along the stems, and are up to 4 or 5 centimeters long. The inflorescence is a tiny cluster of white-edged thin sepals and two white petals, each no more than a millimeter long.

Plant type

Annual herb

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Color

White

Special uses

Containers

Plant communities

Lodgepole Forest, Northern Juniper Woodland, Red Fir Forest, Sagebrush Scrub