Calyptridium pygmaeum

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}

{{speciesbox

|name = Pygmy pussypaws

|image =

|genus = Calyptridium

|species = pygmaeum

|authority = Parish ex Rydb.

|synonyms = *Cistanthe pygmaea (Parish ex Rydb.) Hershk.

|synonyms_ref = {{citation |title=Calyptridium pygmaeum Parish ex Rydb. |work=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:273944-2 |access-date=2021-03-23 }}

| status = G1

| status_system = TNC

| status_ref = {{cite web | url=https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.128135 | title=NatureServe Explorer 2.0 }}

}}

Calyptridium pygmaeum, common name pygmy pussypaws, is a plant species endemic to California. It has been reported from Riverside, San Bernardino, Inyo, Tulare and Fresno Counties, in pine and subalpine forests at elevations of 1900–3550 m.[http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-taxon=Calyptridium+pygmaeum Calflora taxon report, Calyptridium pygmaeum]

Calyptridium pygmaeum is an annual herb. Stems are horizontal, spreading out in various directions from the rootstock, each up to {{cvt|8|cm}} long. Leaves are up to {{cvt|15|mm}} long. Flowers form dense clusters at the ends of each of the branches. Sepals are egg-shaped and fleshy. The 4 petals are white, each up to {{cvt|3|mm}} long, remaining attached to the fruit. Capsule is egg-shaped, about {{cvt|5|mm}} across. Seeds are black, round and shiny.[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242415720 Flora of North America v 4 p 463, Cistanthe pygmaea][https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13062612#page/32/mode/1up Hershkovitz, Mark A. 1990. Phytologia 68(4): 268.]Rydberg, Per Axel. 1932. North American Flora 21(4): 320.