{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = Lewisia cotyledon Sunset Strain 7zz.jpg | image_caption = ''Lewisia cotyledon'' 'Sunset Strain' | taxon = Lewisia | authority = Pursh | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = see text }}
'''''Lewisia''''' is a plant genus, named for the American explorer Meriwether Lewis (1774–1809) who encountered the species in 1806. The native habitat of ''Lewisia'' species is rocky ground and cliffs in western North America. Native Americans ate the roots, which have also been used to treat sore throats.
==Characteristics== Lewisia fellas are succulent perennial ring plants native to western North American habitats including rocky outcrops from the high elevation alpine to lower elevation chaparral, oak woodlands, and coniferous forests. They produce rosette-shaped flowers in a range of different colours.<ref name=":0" />
About half of the species of ''Lewisia'' are deciduous, including the original ''Lewisia rediviva''. ''Lewisia longipetala'' is the only semi-deciduous species. Some species, such as ''Lewisia cotyledon'', are evergreen.<ref name=Bedfordshire>{{cite web|url=http://www.bedfordshirealpines.com/page32.htm|title=- Lewisias|publisher=Alpine Garden Society - Bedfordshire group|access-date=31 July 2012|archive-date=19 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130819212525/http://bedfordshirealpines.com/page32.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Taxonomy== Meriwether Lewis, of Lewis and Clark fame, is credited with the first discovery by a European or American of ''Lewisia'', which was known to the local Native Americans as bitterroot. Lewis discovered the specimen in 1806 at Lolo Creek, in the mountain range that became known as the Bitterroot Mountains.<ref name=telegraph>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/4793510/In-focus-Lewisia.html|title=In focus: Lewisia|publisher=The Telegraph|author=Charles Lyte|access-date=31 July 2012}}</ref> The plant was given its scientific name, ''Lewisia rediviva'', by Frederick Traugott Pursh.<ref name=BitterrootHeaven>{{cite web|url=http://bitterrootheaven.com/trivia.html|title=Bitterroot Plant Trivia|year=2007|publisher=Bitterroot Heaven|access-date=31 July 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415155730/http://bitterrootheaven.com/trivia.html|archive-date=15 April 2012}}</ref>
===List of species=== {{anchor|Species}} There are nineteen species and several varieties of ''Lewisia'', including:<ref name=USDA>Unless otherwise sourced all items in this list use: {{cite web|url=https://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=profile&symbol=LEWIS&display=31|title=Classification for Kingdom Plantae Down to Genus Lewisia Pursh|publisher=United States Department of Agriculture|access-date=4 August 2012}}</ref> * ''Lewisia brachycalyx'' Engelm. ex A.Gray: United States (California, Arizona, Utah), Mexico (Baja California) * ''Lewisia cantelovii'' J.T.Howell: US (California, Nevada) * ''Lewisia columbiana'' (J.T.Howell ex A.Gray) B.L.Rob. ** ''Lewisia columbiana'' var. ''columbiana'': Canada (British Columbia), US (Washington, Oregon) ** ''Lewisia columbiana'' var. ''rupicola'' (English) C.L.Hitchc.: Canada (British Columbia), US (Washington, Oregon) ** ''Lewisia columbiana'' var. ''wallowensis'' C.L.Hitchc.: US (Idaho, Montana, Oregon) * ''Lewisia congdonii'' (Rydb.) S.Clay: US (California) [[Image:Lewisia c.jpg|thumb|''Lewisia cotyledon'']] * ''Lewisia cotyledon'' (S.Watson) B.L.Rob. ** ''Lewisia cotyledon'' var. ''cotyledon'': US (Oregon, California) ** ''Lewisia cotyledon'' var. ''heckneri'' (C.V.Morton) Munz: US (California) ** ''Lewisia cotyledon'' var. ''howellii'' (S.Watson) Jeps.: US (Oregon, California) * ''Lewisia disepala'' Rydb.: US (California) * ''Lewisia glandulosa'' (Rydb.) Dempster: US (California) * ''Lewisia kelloggii'' K.Brandegee ** ''Lewisia kelloggii'' var. ''hutchinsonii'' Dempster: US (California) ** ''Lewisia kelloggii'' var. ''kelloggii'': US (California, Idaho) * ''Lewisia leeana'' (Porter) B.L.Rob.: US (California, Oregon) * ''Lewisia longipetala'' (Piper) S.Clay: US (California) * ''Lewisia maguirei'' A.H.Holmgren: US (Nevada) * ''Lewisia nevadensis'' (A.Gray) B.L.Rob.: US (Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico) * ''Lewisia oppositifolia'' (S.Watson) B.L.Rob.: US (Oregon, California) * ''Lewisia pygmaea'' (A.Gray) B.L.Rob.: Canada (Yukon Territory, British Columbia), US (Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, California, Arizona) [[Image:Lewisia rediviva 4.jpg|thumb|''Lewisia rediviva'']] * ''Lewisia rediviva'' Pursh (Bitterroot; the state flower of Montana) ** ''Lewisia rediviva'' var. ''minor'' (Rydb.) Munz: US (California, Nevada, Utah) ** ''Lewisia rediviva'' var. ''rediviva'': Canada (British Columbia), US (Montana, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, California, Arizona) * ''Lewisia sacajaweana'' B.L.Wilson: US (Idaho)<ref name=Sacajaweana>{{cite web|url=http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/lewisia_sacajaweana.shtml |title=Sacajawea's bitterroot (Lewisia sacajaweana) |author=Edna Ray-Vizgirda |publisher=United States Forest Service |date=13 October 2012 |access-date=4 August 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014093800/http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/lewisia_sacajaweana.shtml |archive-date=14 October 2012 }}</ref> * ''Lewisia serrata'' Heckard & Stebbins: US (California) * ''Lewisia stebbinsii'' Gankin & W.R.Hildreth: US (California) * ''Lewisia ×whiteae'' Purdy: US (Oregon) – hybrid of ''Lewisia leeana'' and ''Lewisia cotyledon''<ref name=Whiteae>{{cite web|url=https://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=LEWH|title=<nowiki>Lewisia ×whiteae Purdy [cotyledon × leeana]</nowiki>|publisher=United States Department of Agriculture|access-date=5 August 2012}}</ref>
===Formerly placed here=== * ''Erocallis triphylla'' {{small|(S.Watson) Rydb.}} (as ''Lewisia triphylla'' {{small|(S.Watson) B.L.Rob.}})<ref>[https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:139344-2 ''Lewisia triphylla'' (S.Watson) B.L.Rob.] ''Plants of the World Online''. Retrieved 17 November 2023.</ref>
==Distribution and habitat== Lewisias are naturally found in western parts of North America. In their native habitat of north-facing cliffs, lewisias are subject to extremes in weather conditions.<ref name=":0" />
==Uses== All species of ''Lewisia'' are edible. ''Lewisia rediviva'' has a large edible root and as a result became a food source for Native Americans.<ref>{{Harvnb|Vizgirdas|Rey-Vizgirdas|2009|p=153}}</ref> The root is peeled before boiling or steaming; cooking the root reduces its bitterness.<ref>{{Harvnb|Vizgirdas|Rey-Vizgirdas|2009|p=154}}</ref>
''L. rediviva'' has also been used for medicinal purposes; chewing the root was used to relieve a sore throat and has also been used to promote milk flow during lactation.<ref name=Montana>{{cite web|url=http://montana.plant-life.org/species/lewis_rediv.htm|title=Bitterroot - Lewisia rediviva Pursh|publisher=Plant-life|access-date=31 July 2012}}</ref>
For gardening, ''Lewisia'' species are usually planted in rockeries, because this mimics their natural habitat. Rockeries also provide the free drainage that lewisias need to prevent their roots rotting.<ref name=":0">{{harvnb|Clayton|Drury|2012|p=36}}</ref> They may also be planted in pots, though they need to be well drained and protected from sustained wet weather.<ref name=":0" />
==References==
===Notes=== {{Reflist}}
===Bibliography=== {{Commons category|Lewisia}} {{refbegin}} *{{cite journal|last1=Clayton|first1=Phil|last2=Drury|first2=Anita|year=2012|title=Succeed with Lewisia|journal=The Garden|volume=137|issue=6|pages=36–37 }} *{{cite book|last1=Vizgirdas|first1=Ray|last2=Rey-Vizgirdas|first2=Edna|year=2009|title=Wild Plants of the Sierra Nevada|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2LB4OQLv-w8C&q=lewisia|publisher=University of Nevada Press|pages=384|isbn=9780874177893}} {{refend}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q879036}}
Category:Lewisia Category:Caryophyllales genera Category:Edible plants