Lynch Creek Meander

I nearly missed the Fawn Lilies (Erythronium oregonum, upper left), but in so doing, I was able to see all my favourites along this little-known trail. Several of them are species I've never seen anywhere else: Sanicula crassicaulis (Sanicle, center top), and yes, those are its itty-bitty little flowers; Plectritis congesta (Sea-blush, top right), and what it's doing in the middle of the woods with a name like that is anyone's guess; Luzula multiflora (Common Woodrush, lower left), nearing the end of its flowering period, and the second of two Luzula species in my photographic "collection". I've found the remaining two in multiple locations: Veronica regina-nivalis (center bottom), also near the end of its blooming season; and good old Claytonia sibirica (Miner's Lettuce, lower right), just because I needed a sixth image for the montage. It was a short but rewarding hike, possibly the last I'll be able to enjoy for a while because we have a Pacific storm system moving in.

Claytonia Sibirica

Day 184: It used to be Montia, and it used to be Miner's Lettuce, but as has occurred with so many other things in the world, our perception of this little plant has changed thanks to scientific advances, and now it's Claytonia sibirica or Western Spring Beauty. Honestly, I'm having a hard time keeping up! It is fairly abundant here in the Pacific Northwest, and if you're a hunter-gatherer type, the foliage makes a tangy addition to a garden salad, but caution should be exercised when consuming it because of the presence of oxalic acid in its tissues. Accumulations of oxalic acid can lead to kidney stones. That said, I occasionally nibble a leaf or two, finding them a bit tart and lemony.

Siberian Miner's Lettuce, Claytonia Sibirica

Day 206: Siberian Miner's Lettuce (Claytonia sibirica) is native to the Pacific Northwest and can be found in the moist lowlands to the mid-elevations west of the Cascade crest. The leaf is fleshy and edible, and was consumed by early settlers as a tangy salad green, hence the common name. The term "edible" comes with a caution: consumption of large quantities over time can lead to development of kidney stones, owing to the presence of oxalic acid in the leaves, but browsing a few while hiking is not likely to cause future issues. In fact, the tart, puckery taste can be a good thirst-quencher or an unusual garnish laid atop a green salad. Miner's Lettuce (both C. sibirica and C. perfoliata) are present in abundance in western Washington.