Common name(s): Miner's Lettuce

Family: Montiaceae - Miner's Lettuce family

Species: Claytonia perfoliata

Commonly found: Hollows and glades

Size: 1ft

Origin: Native

Description: Miner's Lettuce is an annual herb that is native to a large portion of western North America, including almost every county in California. Leaves are usually bright green, sometimes streaked with white and occasionally reddish. Leaves are variable in size. Flowers occur in one or more clusters rising from the center of the leaves. The leaves are edible, often used either raw in salads or boiled like spinach. Because the plants are high in vitamin C, Gold Rush miners ate them to prevent scurvy.