Montia diffusa

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}} {{speciesbox |genus = Montia |species = diffusa |authority = (Nutt.) Greene |synonyms = {{Plainlist | style = margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em; | *''Claytonia diffusa'' <small>Nutt.</small> *''Limnalsine diffusa'' <small>(Nutt.) Rydb.</small> }} |synonyms_ref = <ref>{{citation |url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2508996 |title=The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species |accessdate=8 May 2016}}</ref> }}

'''''Montia diffusa''''' is a species of flowering plant in the family Montiaceae known by the common names '''branching montia''' and '''spreading miner's lettuce''' native to North America.

==Distribution== It is native to western North America from British Columbia to northern California, where it occurs mainly west of Cascade Range crest.<ref>[http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/forb/mondif/all.html US Forest Service Fire Ecology]</ref> It grows in moist to wet wooded areas, including areas recently affected by wildfire.

==Description== ''Montia diffusa'' is an annual herb growing erect to about 20 centimeters in maximum height, its stem branching intricately. The diamond or lance-shaped leaves are alternately arranged and measure up to 5 centimeters in length, not counting their long petioles. The inflorescence is a raceme of 3 or more flowers. Each flower has usually five pink or white petals under half a centimeter in length blooming from a nearly closed cup of small green sepals wrapped around their bases.

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?6318,6382,6385 Jepson Manual Treatment - ''Montia diffusa''] *[http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=photos_index&where-taxon=Montia+diffusa ''Montia diffusa'' - Photo gallery]

diffusa Category:Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Category:Flora of California Category:Flora of British Columbia Category:Flora of the West Coast of the United States Category:Flora without expected TNC conservation status