Cistanthe (monosperma)

Lee Riley Horticulturist USDA FS - Dorena Genetic Resource Center 34963 Shoreview Road Cottage Grove, Oregon 97424 541-915-7324 541-767-5709 (fax) lee.riley@usda.gov

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Family Scientific Name:	Montiaceae
Family Common Name:	Miner’s Lettuce
Scientific Name:	Cistanthe monosperma
Common Name:	One-seeded Pussypaws, Mt. Hood Pussypaws, Umbellate Pussypaws
Species Code:	CIMO5
Ecotype:	Deschutes National Forest, Oregon
General Distribution:	Grows in a variety of habitats including forests and woodlands but is mostly found in open, sandy or gravelly soils in sun or part shade. Found in the western US in Oregon, Nevada, and California.
Propagation Goal:	Plants
Propagation Method:	Seed
ProductType:	Container (plug)
Stock Type:	262 ml (16 in3) container
Time To Grow:	18 weeks
Target Specifications:	Stock Type: Container seedling Root System: Firm plug in container.
Pre-Planting Treatments:	Due to small seed size, the easiest method is to sow seed into trays filled with stabilized medium plugs (Q-plugs). Trays are sealed inside plastic bags and placed into refrigeration at 1 to 3 °C for 60 days. Trays are checked weekly and kept moist throughout the stratification period. If mold is evident, trays should be treated with 1% hydrogen peroxide.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	Greenhouse growing facility. Q-plugs are lightly covered with nursery grit. Seedlings are transplanted to target containers approximately 3 weeks following removal from stratification. Growing medium used is 40:20:20:20 peat:composted fir bark:perlite:pumice with Nutricote controlled release fertilizer (18N:6P2O5:8K2O with minors; 180-d release rate at 21C) at the rate of 1.5 gram Nutricote per 262 ml container.
Establishment Phase:	Germination is not very uniform, and slow. It is usually complete in 3 weeks, but plants are quite small for an extended period of time. Following germination (while still in Q-plugs), plants are fertilized with soluble 12-2-14-6Ca-3Mg at 75 to 100 ppm for 3 weeks.
Length of Establishment Phase:	4 weeks
Active Growth Phase:	Root development is somewhat slow. Shoot growth can be considered moderate throughout the active growth phase, but can be pushed to reach target height and plug density in the first year. Soluble fertilizer (20-9-20 NPK, 20-18-18 NPK, or 17-5-24 NPK) at 150 ppm is applied weekly throughout the growing season.
Length of Active Growth Phase:	16 weeks
Hardening Phase:	No dry-down is done to induce dormancy. Seedlings are moved to an outdoor growing area in late September.
Length of Hardening Phase:	2 to 3 weeks
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:	Harvest Date: Early October Storage Conditions: Seedlings are usually outplanted in fall. No storage except in outdoor growing area. Plants are well irrigated prior to shipping and shipped in containers.
Other Comments:	Annual The ITIS classification puts it in Montiaceae but some sources still list it as being in Portulacaceae (Purslane Family).
References:	Bonner FT, Karrfalt RB, Nisley RG, editors. 2008. The woody plant seed manual. Washington (DC): USDA Forest Service. Agriculture Handbook 727. 1223 p. Calscape. nd. One seeded pussypaws Calyptridium monospermum. California Native Plant Society. https://calscape.org/Calyptridium-monospermum-() (accessed 13 Jan 2020). Dorena Genetic Resource Center Propagation Records, unpublished. [ITIS] Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Cistanthe monosperma (Greene) Hershk. URL: https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=501561#null (accessed 13 Jan 2020). USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Cistanthe monosperma (Greene) Hershkovitz oneseed pussypaws. URL: https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=cimo5 (accessed 13 Jan 2020).

Citation:

Riley, Lee E.; Kamakura, Renata. 2020. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Cistanthe monosperma Plants 262 ml (16 in3) container; USDA FS - Dorena Genetic Resource Center Cottage Grove, Oregon. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/04/20). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.