Stumped again - Yosemite

[t5247rb]

Any guesses?  Found on Yosemite Valley floor in late June.

[Robert]

Do you have a photograph with better detail?

Or did you write out a description of the plant?

It might be a Claytonia species, however there is just not enough detail, especially of the flowers, to make a determination.

Thank you for posting the photograph.

[Maggi Young]

Rob,  have a look at this page of photos by Paul Slichter  of Claytonia rubra subsp. depressa :
http://science.halleyhosting.com/nature/gorge/5petal/purslane/claytonia/depressa.html

Might be of help to you.

[Robert]

Calflora is excellent too!

There are good photographs as well as links to The Jepson Manual online.

[t5247rb]

I would guess that it is some kind of Claytonia.  I'm wondering when they usually flower and if what I photographed was long after (or before?) the plant had flowered (late June). What struck me about it was the red stems (contrasting with the green leafy parts). I can't find a photo on the internet that I can say is spot on, but again, maybe because people tend to photograph far less plants which have lost their flowers.  There is a Claytonia rubra (Redstem Spring Beauty) but again, none of the photos I've seen elicited that Eureka response.

I remember seeing it several times in Yosemite (valley) and never once with any flowers.

[Robert]

Hi Rob,

In general, Claytonias bloom very early in the spring, then quickly set seed, and go dormant or dry-up and die. It is not unusual for the foliage to discolor as they are going dormant. Spring at high elevations in the Sierra Nevada can be June or July, especially after a high snowfall winter like we just had here in California.

Sorry I could not help you out more. In general, Claytonias are easy to identify, sometimes even when they are going dormant, however key attributes need to be noted.

[t5247rb]

Thanks so much for the info on Claytonia Robert.  It's the first time I've been introduced to this species and my first time in Sierra Nevadas.  So many different kinds of plants.