Index of Species Information
SPECIES: Lewisia rediviva
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| Bitterroot tolerates dry soils. Creative Commons photo by Gary Monroe. |
Introductory
SPECIES: Lewisia rediviva
AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION :
Howard, Janet L. 1993. Lewisia rediviva. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online].
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station,
Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/forb/lewred/all.html [].
ABBREVIATION :
LEWRED
SYNONYMS :
NO-ENTRY
SCS PLANT CODE :
LERE7
LEREM
COMMON NAMES :
bitterroot
redhead Louisa
TAXONOMY :
The currently accepted scientific name of bitterroot is Lewisia rediviva
Pursh [7,13,18]. There are two recognized varieties: Lewisia rediviva
var. rediviva and Lewisia rediviva var. minor (Rydb.) Munz. The latter
variety occurs in the mountains of Nevada and southern California. It
distinguished by its smaller flowers [4,18,27].
LIFE FORM :
Forb
FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS :
No special status
OTHER STATUS :
NO-ENTRY
DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Lewisia rediviva
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION :
Bitterroot is distributed from southern British Columbia east to Montana
and south to southern California and northern Arizona [4,7,13,18].
ECOSYSTEMS :
FRES20 Douglas-fir
FRES21 Ponderosa pine
FRES28 Western hardwoods
FRES29 Sagebrush
FRES30 Desert shrub
FRES34 Chaparral - mountain shrub
FRES35 Pinyon - juniper
FRES42 Annual grasslands
FRES44 Alpine
STATES :
AZ CA CO ID MT NV OR UT WA WY
BC
BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS :
1 Northern Pacific Border
2 Cascade Mountains
3 Southern Pacific Border
4 Sierra Mountains
5 Columbia Plateau
6 Upper Basin and Range
7 Lower Basin and Range
8 Northern Rocky Mountains
9 Middle Rocky Mountains
10 Wyoming Basin
11 Southern Rocky Mountains
12 Colorado Plateau
KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS :
K010 Ponderosa shrub forest
K011 Western ponderosa forest
K012 Douglas-fir forest
K023 Juniper - pinyon woodland
K024 Juniper steppe woodland
K029 California mixed evergreen forest
K030 California oakwoods
K032 Transition between K031 and K037
K030 California oakwoods
K037 Mountain-mahogany - oak scrub
K040 Saltbush - greasewood
K041 Creosotebush
K048 California steppe
K052 Alpine meadows and barren
K055 Sagebrush steppe
K056 Wheatgrass - needlegrass shrubsteppe
K063 Foothills prairie
SAF COVER TYPES :
210 Interior Douglas-fir
217 Aspen
220 Rocky Mountain juniper
234 Douglas-fir - tanoak - Pacific madrone
238 Western juniper
239 Pinyon - juniper
240 Arizona cypress
245 Pacific ponderosa pine
247 Jeffrey pine
250 Blue oak - gray pine
255 California coast live oak
SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES :
NO-ENTRY
HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES :
Bitterroot is most common in intermontane grassland communities of the
West but occurs in open areas of various western shrub, woodland, and
forest communities as well [17,18,24]. It is not an indicator or
dominant species in habitat typings.
MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS
SPECIES: Lewisia rediviva
IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE :
Bitterroot is unimportant forage for large herbivores due to its small
size and brief growing period [22]. Rodents, however, consume the
leaves and seeds. Montanan plants transplanted in Pullman, Washington
were heavily grazed by deer mouse [4].
PALATABILITY :
The palatability of bitterroot for grazing animals in several western
states is as follows [6]:
CO WY MT
cattle poor poor poor
sheep poor fair fair
horse poor poor poor
elk ---- ---- poor
mule deer ---- poor ----
NUTRITIONAL VALUE :
Aboveground portions of bitterroot are poor in energy and protein value
[6]. Nutrient composition of the fresh root per gram dry weight is as
follows [19]:
calories 3.87 calcium (mg) 2.35
protein (g) 0.10 iron (mg) 0.33
carbohydrate (g) 0.85 magnesium (mg) 0.74
lipid (g) 0.01 zinc (mg) 0.05
ash (g) 0.01
COVER VALUE :
NO-ENTRY
VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES :
NO-ENTRY
OTHER USES AND VALUES :
Bitterroot is the state flower of Montana [22].
Bitterroot roots were boiled and eaten by western Indians [22,24].
OTHER MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
Bitterroot increases in response to heavy grazing [11].
BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Lewisia rediviva
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS :
Bitterroot is a native, cool-season, low-growing, ephemeral, perennial
forb. Most of the biomass consists of a thick, often branching taproot
up to 12.8 inches (32 cm) long. Bitterroot has a short caudex with
densely clustered succulent leaves at the caudex crown. The fruit is a
capsule with small, round seeds [4,12,16,17,18].
RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM :
Geophyte
REGENERATION PROCESSES :
Differentiation of floral buds appears to be triggered by short-day
photoperiods and/or cool fall temperatures [17]. Blooming occurs in
spring. Flowers remain open for 2 to 3 days and are pollinated by
insects, usually native bees. Seed is dispersed by wind and gravity
[4,5,14,26]. Bitterroot seed in Craters of the Moon National Monument,
Idaho, was positively correlated with cushion eriogonum (Eriogonum
ovalifolium), which probably acts as a seedtrap. Density of soil-stored
bitterroot seed on bare ground was 0.7 seeds per square foot (83/sq m),
while seed density beneath cushion eriogonum was 52.7 per square foot
(567/sq m) [5]. Germination rates are highest after cold stratification
[4]. Seedling establishment may be facilitated by mat-forming plants
such as cushion eriogonum; Day and Wright [5] have hypothesized that
cushion eriogonum is a nurse plant for bitterroot in south-central
Idaho.
SITE CHARACTERISTICS :
Bitterroot is found in dry western climates where the majority of
precipitation occurs in cooler seasons, and soil desiccation in summer
is common [17]. It grows on well-drained, exposed gravelly benches,
river bars, plains, stony slopes, and open ridges [7,12,22]. It is
found at the following elevations in several western states:
feet meters
CA: 2,500 to 6,000 762-1,829 [18]
CO: 7,000 to 9,000 2,134-2,743 [12]
MT: 3,000 to 6,000 914-1,829 [16]
UT: 4,790 to 10,335 1,460-3,150 [24]
Lewisia rediviva variety minor occurs from 6,500 to 9,000 feet
(1,981-2,742 m) in elevation [18].
Plant associates not listed in Distribution and Occurrence are as
follows:
In palouse prairies of eastern Washington and Oregon and western Idaho
and Montana, bitterroot is associated with Idaho fescue (Festuca
idahoensis), bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata), Sandberg
bluegrass (Poa secunda), western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii),
junegrass (Koeleria cristata), cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), biscuitroot
(Lomatium spp.), wooly groundsel (Senecio canus), cushion eriogonum, and
mountain pink (Douglasia montana) [3,10].
In mountain shrublands of Utah and Colorado, bitterroot is associated
with Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii), bigtooth maple (Acer
grandidentatum), serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.), bitterbrush (Purshia
tridentata), and silver sagebrush (Artemisia cana) [24].
SUCCESSIONAL STATUS :
Bitterroot is a colonizer in primary succession. The thick taproot is
well-adapted to initial colonization of rock crevices. Bitterroot in
Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho, is a primary colonizer of
cinder cones [5]. Bitterroot requires full sunlight [16,22], and
generally occurs in initial communities and/or early seres in secondary
succession [10,11]. Researchers in Alberta found that plants
established where prevailing winds broke up sod on hillsides [26].
SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT :
Bitterroot phenology is as follows in the Bitterroot Valley of western
Montana [17]:
new leaves appear: late October
flower buds initiated: early November
leaf elongation: April
leaves wither: early May
flowering: early June
flower abscission and seed dispersal: late June
Summer dormancy is broken by the onset of precipitation. The period of
fall growth therefore varies; bitterroot in western Montana has
initiated leaf and flower bud growth as early as August or as late as
November, depending on seasonal rainfall [17].
Development is eastern Washington is as follows [4]:
seeds germinate: November
new leaves appear: September to October
flowering: May to June
flower abscission and seed dispersal: June to July
FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Lewisia rediviva
FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS :
Because bitterroot is usually dormant in summer and early fall, it
escapes most wildfires. Bitterroot probably colonizes burn areas from
wind-blown seed, but such a regeneration strategy has not been
documented in the literature.
FIRE REGIMES :
Find fire regime information for the plant communities in which this
species may occur by selecting the "Fire Regimes" link on the FEIS home page, and then search by species name.
POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY :
Caudex, growing points in soil
Geophyte, growing points deep in soil
Secondary colonizer - off-site seed
FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Lewisia rediviva
IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT :
Fire information is lacking for this species. Fire during periods of
active growth presumably top-kills bitterroot. Fires occurring during
plant dormancy probably do not harm this geophyte.
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT :
NO-ENTRY
PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE :
Cool-season forbs such as bitterroot are susceptible to fall fire
occurring in the period of active growth [25]. Fall burning probably
adversely affects the rate of spring growth. It may also curtail
flowering by consuming floral buds. Carbohydrate reserves in the root
are probably adequate, however, for bitterroot to survive occasional
fall fire and still resume growth in spring.
Spring burning is more harmful. Root-stored carbohydrates are greatly
depleted by spring growth. If leaves are burned at this time,
bitterroot is unable to manufacture and store the photosynthate required
to support growth in fall [17,25]. Frequent spring fire would probably
kill bitterroot.
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE :
NO-ENTRY
FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
Summer or early fall burning, before fall growth has been initiated,
may favor bitterroot by maintaining or regressing its plant
community to early seres of plant succession.
REFERENCES
SPECIES: Lewisia rediviva
REFERENCES :
1. Bernard, Stephen R.; Brown, Kenneth F. 1977. Distribution of mammals,
reptiles, and amphibians by BLM physiographic regions and A.W. Kuchler's
associations for the eleven western states. Tech. Note 301. Denver, CO:
U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 169 p.
[434]
3. Cox, George W. 1989. Early summer diet and food preferences of northern
pocket gophers in north central Oregon. Northwest Science. 63(3): 77-82.
[9310]
4. Daubenmire, R. 1975. An ecological life-history of Lewisia rediviva
(Portulacaceae). Syesis. 8: 9-23. [20353]
5. Day, T. A.; Wright, R. G. 1989. Positive plant spatial association with
Eriogonum ovalifolium in primary succession on cinder cones:
seed-trapping nurse plants. Vegetatio. 80: 37-45. [9304]
6. Dittberner, Phillip L.; Olson, Michael R. 1983. The plant information
network (PIN) data base: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, Utah, and
Wyoming. FWS/OBS-83/86. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior,
Fish and Wildlife Service. 786 p. [806]
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West Publishing. 340 p. [6129]
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1977. Vegetation and environmental features of forest and range
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Agriculture, Forest Service. 68 p. [998]
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vegeta. in the Missoula area with commentary on the reduction of
environmental quality in this area. Unpublished paper on file at: U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research
Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. 21 p. [16895]
11. Habeck, J. R. 1993, pers. com.
12. Harrington, H. D. 1964. Manual of the plants of Colorado. 2d ed.
Chicago: The Swallow Press Inc. 666 p. [6851]
13. Hitchcock, C. Leo; Cronquist, Arthur. 1973. Flora of the Pacific
Northwest. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press. 730 p. [1168]
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Northwest. Seattle: University of Washington Press. 252 p. [9980]
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American Geographical Society. 77 p. [1384]
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Montana--identification guidebook. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-227. Ogden, UT:
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research
Station. 648 p. [13798]
17. Marvel, Stephen C. 1987. Ecophysiology of Lewisia rediviva Pursh
(Portulacaceae): a cool steppe geophyte. Missoula, MT: University of
Montana. 142 p. Dissertation. [20358]
18. Munz, Philip A. 1973. A California flora and supplement. Berkeley, CA:
University of California Press. 1905 p. [6155]
19. Norton, H. H.; Hunn, E. S.; Martinsen, C. S.; Keely, P. B. 1984.
Vegetable food products of the foraging economies of the Pacific
Northwest. Ecology of Food and Nutrition. 14(3): 219-228. [10327]
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geography. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 632 p. [2843]
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Rocky Mountain forests. Unpublished draft on file at: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Fire
Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT; RWU 4403 files. 7 p. [20090]
22. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 1937. Range plant
handbook. Washington, DC. 532 p. [2387]
23. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service. 1982.
National list of scientific plant names. Vol. 1. List of plant names.
SCS-TP-159. Washington, DC. 416 p. [11573]
24. Welsh, Stanley L.; Atwood, N. Duane; Goodrich, Sherel; Higgins, Larry
C., eds. 1987. A Utah flora. Great Basin Naturalist Memoir No. 9. Provo,
UT: Brigham Young University. 894 p. [2944]
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and southern Canada. New York: John Wiley & Sons. 501 p. [2620]
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biology of Canadian weeds. 45. Solidago canadensis L. Canadian Journal
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FEIS Home Page
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