Cistanthe
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.
| Cistanthe | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Cistanthe umbellata at Mount Rainier National Park | |
_at_Yosemite.jpg.webp) | |
| 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. | |
Species
As of March 2021, Plants of the World Online accepted the following species:
- Cistanthe aegialitis (F.Phil. ex Phil.) Carolin ex Hershk.
- Cistanthe amarantoides (Phil.) Carolin ex Hershk.
- Cistanthe ambigua (S.Watson) Carolin ex Hershk. - desert pussypaws
- Cistanthe arancioana Peralta
- Cistanthe arenaria (Cham.) Carolin ex Hershk.
- Cistanthe cabrerae (Añon) Peralta
- Cistanthe cachinalensis (Phil.) Peralta & D.I.Ford
- Cistanthe calycina (Phil.) Carolin ex Hershk.
- Cistanthe celosioides (Phil.) Carolin ex Hershk.
- Cistanthe cephalophora (I.M.Johnst.) Carolin ex Hershk.
- Cistanthe chamissoi (Barnéoud) Carolin ex Hershk.
- Cistanthe chrysantha (I.M.Johnst.) Peralta & D.I.Ford
- Cistanthe coquimbensis (Barnéoud) Carolin ex Hershk.
- Cistanthe crassifolia (Phil.) Carolin ex Hershk.
- Cistanthe cymosa (Phil.) Hershk.
- Cistanthe densiflora (Barnéoud) Hershk.
- Cistanthe fenzlii (Barnéoud) Carolin ex Hershk.
- Cistanthe floresiorum J.M.Watson
- Cistanthe frigida (Barnéoud) Peralta
- Cistanthe grandiflora (Lindl.) Schltdl.
- Cistanthe guadalupensis (M.G.Dudley) Carolin ex Hershk.
- Cistanthe humilis (Phil.) Peralta
- Cistanthe lamprosperma (I.M.Johnst.) Peralta & D.I.Ford
- Cistanthe laxiflora (Phil.) Peralta & D.I.Ford
- Cistanthe lingulata (Ruiz & Pav.) Hershk.
- Cistanthe longiscapa (Barnéoud) Carolin ex Hershk.
- Cistanthe maritima (Nutt.) Carolin ex Hershk. - seaside pussypaws
- Cistanthe minuscula (Añon) Peralta
- Cistanthe mucronulata (Meyen) Carolin ex Hershk.
- Cistanthe oblongifolia (Barnéoud) Carolin ex Hershk.
- Cistanthe paniculata (DC.) Carolin ex Hershk.
- Cistanthe philhershkovitziana Hershk.
- Cistanthe picta (Gillies ex Arn.) Carolin ex Hershk.
- Cistanthe salsoloides (Barnéoud) Carolin ex Hershk.
- Cistanthe stricta (Phil.) Peralta
- Cistanthe thyrsoidea (Reiche) Peralta & D.I.Ford
- Cistanthe tovarii A.Galán
- Cistanthe trigona (Colla) Hershk.
- Cistanthe vicina (Phil.) Carolin ex Hershk.
- Cistanthe weberbaueri (Diels) Carolin ex Hershk.
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