[The Genus Montia East of the Cascade
Mts. of Oregon and Washington]
Line-leaf Montia, Lineleaf Indian Lettuce, Narrowleaf Miner's-lettuce, Narrowleaf Montia, Narrow-leaved Montia
Montia linearis
Synonym: Claytonia linearis
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Line-leaf montia as seen at left in Bond Creek several hundred meters south of Hot Springs Campground, Hart Mt. National Antelope Refuge..........June 11, 2016. The photo at right shows linear-leaf montia on BLM lands along Box Canyon Road about one-half mile east of the gated trailhead at the end of the driveable road, north-central Klickitat County, WA......May 1, 2022.
The photo at right shows
line-leaf montia from Catherine
Creek, Major Creek Plateau, Columbia River Gorge, Washington.....March 31, 1991.
Characteristics:
Line-leaf montia is a small annual with one to several simple
to freely branched, erect stems from 5-20 cm high. The leaves are on the stems.
They are alternate, linear, from 2-5 cm long and 0.5-1 mm wide.
The white flowers are 5 mm long in a one-sided raceme. The 5
petals are about equal in length to slightly longer than the 2 green sepals,
which range from 3-4 mm in length. It may be confused with Montia dichotoma
which has sepals to 2 mm in length and is only 2-8 cm tall.
Habitat:
Line-leaf montia is found on seasonally moist, open soils in
the lowlands.
Range:
Line-leaf montia may be found from southern British California
south on both sides of the Cascades to southern California and east to northern
Montana and Utah.
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Line-leaf montia as observed at left on scablands along Forest Road 4240 about a mile south of Lame Dog Creek, Ochoco National Forest.......April 26, 2018. The photo at right shows line-leaf montia in bloom in open ponderosa pine forest near the Little Spokane River, Spokane County, WA......May 7, 2019..
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Line-leaf montia at left from Catherine Creek, Columbia river Gorge..........April
2002. The photo at right shows line-leaf montia in a small creek at Brooks Memorial State Park off US 97, near Satus Pass.......May 11, 2020.
Paul Slichter