Taxon Report

Claytonia peirsonii (Munz & I.M. Johnst.) Stoughton ssp. peirsonii

Peirson's spring beauty

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Claytonia peirsonii ssp. peirsonii, commonly known as Peirson's spring beauty, is a perennial herb in the Montiaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Subalpine coniferous forest, and Upper montane coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 1510 to 2745 meters. Claytonia peirsonii ssp. peirsonii is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Claytonia peirsonii (Munz & I.M. Johnst.) Stoughton ssp. peirsonii
Common Name:	Peirson's spring beauty
Family:	Montiaceae
Element Code:	PDPOR03121
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:	Claytonia lanceolata Pursh var. peirsonii M. J.

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: (Mar)May-Jun	(Mar)May-Jun
Elevation:	1510-2745 (4955-9005)
General Habitats:	Subalpine coniferous forest, Upper montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat:	Granitic, Metamorphic, Scree, Talus
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Global Rank:	G2G3T2
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	changed from 3.1 to 1B.2 on 2019-07-26 changed from 1B.1 to 3.1 on 2009-10-22

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	9
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	6
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	3

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Los Angeles (LAX), San Bernardino (SBD)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Crystal Lake (3411737), Cucamonga Peak (3411725), Juniper Hills (3411748), Telegraph Peak (3411735), Valyermo (3411747), Waterman Mtn. (3411738)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	6
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	6	67 %
Foot traffic/trampling	5	55%
Other	3	33%
Grazing	2	22%
Development	2	22%
Recreational use (non-ORV)	1	11%
Road/trail construction/maint.	1	11%

Notes



See Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 49(12):352 (1923) for original description, and Systematic Botany 42(2):283-300 (2017) for revised nomenclature and taxonomic treatment.
Threats:
Threatened by foot traffic, recreational activities, and proposed ski area expansion.
Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 13 November 2025].