Montia fontana

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 1: 87. 1753.

Common names: Water blinks
Illustrated
Synonyms: Claytonia hallii A. Gray Montia clara Ö. Nilsson Montia funstonii Rydberg Montia hallii (A. Gray) Greene Montia minor C. C. Gmelin
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 487. Mentioned on page 485, 486.

Plants annual or biennial, never bulbiferous. Stems prostrate or decumbent, 1–30 cm, freely rooting at nodes, forming mats. Leaves opposite, sessile; blade oblanceolate to rhombic, 2–20 × 0.5–10 mm. Inflorescences leafy. Flowers 1–8, slightly bilateral; sepals 1–1.5 mm; petals 5, connate proximally, white, unequal, 1–2 mm; stamens 3, anther pink or yellow. Seeds 0.7–1.2 mm, tuberculate; elaiosome present. 2n = 20, 40.


Phenology: Flowering spring.
Habitat: Pools, springs, meadows, other wet or moist places
Elevation: 0-3700 m

Distribution

V4 989-distribution-map.gif

Greenland, St. Pierre and Miquelon, B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr., N.S., Nunavut, N.W.T., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Yukon, Alaska, Calif., Idaho, Maine, Mass., Mont., Nev., N.H., N.Y., Oreg., Utah, Vt., Wash., Wyo., Central America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Arctic regions.

Discussion

Montia fontana displays a multitude of forms varying in stature, leaf shape, and seed size. Segregate species, varieties, and subspecies have been named. Based on my study of worldwide collections of the species, much variation in M. fontana is attributable to phenotypic differentiation of ramets produced by local environmental conditions and unrelated to genetic variation. Until macromolecular or other studies shed light on the variation in M. fontana, it seems pointless to recognize infraspecific taxa or segregate species.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Montia fontana"
John M. Miller +
Linnaeus +
Water blinks +
Greenland +, St. Pierre and Miquelon +, B.C. +, Man. +, N.B. +, Nfld. and Labr. +, N.S. +, Nunavut +, N.W.T. +, Ont. +, P.E.I. +, Que. +, Yukon +, Alaska +, Calif. +, Idaho +, Maine +, Mass. +, Mont. +, Nev. +, N.H. +, N.Y. +, Oreg. +, Utah +, Vt. +, Wash. +, Wyo. +, Central America +, South America +, Europe +, Asia +, Africa +  and Arctic regions. +
0-3700 m +
Pools, springs, meadows, other wet or moist places +
Flowering spring. +
moore1963b +  and walters1953a +
Illustrated +
Claytonia hallii +, Montia clara +, Montia funstonii +, Montia hallii +  and Montia minor +
Montia fontana +
species +