Lewisia

Lewisia Pursh (1813)

🌵 Author(s)	Frederick Traugott Pursh
🌵 Published in	Fl. Amer. Sept. (Pursh) 2: 360 (1813)

Etymology

Named for American explorer Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809), who collected the type species (Lewisia redivida) “[o]n the banks of Clarck’s river”. Pursh: “The specimen with roots taken out of the Herbarium of M. Lewis, Esq. was planted by Mr. M’Mahon of Philadelphia, and vegetated for more than one year: but some accident happening to it, I had not the pleasure of seeing it in flower.”

This genus was included in Cactaceae by John Lindley (Intr. Nat. Syst. Bot., ed. 2.: 54. 1836), who described it as “a sort of leafy Mammillaria“. It is now placed in the family Montiaceae.