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Alaska spring-beauty, creeping spring beauty

Carolina spring-beauty

Habit Plants perennial, with minute, tuberous body, producing rhizomes and stolons; rhizomes 0.5–3 mm diam.; periderm absent. Plants perennial, with globose tubers 10–20 mm diam.; periderm 1–5 mm.
Stems

1–20 cm.

6–25 cm.

Leaves

basal leaves 1–15 cm, blade elliptic to spatulate, 1–8 × 1–2 cm;

cauline leaves sessile, blade lanceolate to ovate, 2 times or less longer than broad, 1–2 cm.

basal leaves 6–21, petiolate, blade elliptic or spatulate, 3–5 × 1–3 cm;

cauline leaves abruptly petiolate, blade lanceolate to spatulate or ovate, 4–8 × 0.5–2.5 cm.

Inflorescences

ebracteate.

1-bracteate (rarely with 2 bracts).

Flowers

15–20 mm diam.;

sepals 6–8 mm;

petals pink to magenta with yellow blotch at base, 10–16 mm;

ovules 6.

8–12 mm diam.;

sepals 3–5 mm;

petals white, pink, or candy-striped, 6–10 mm;

ovules 6.

Seeds

(1–)6, 2–4 mm, shiny and smooth;

elaiosome prominent, 2–3 mm.

2–4 mm, shiny and smooth;

elaiosome 1–2 mm.

2n

= 10, 12, 16, 24.

= 16, 24, 25, 26, 27, 36, 38.

Claytonia sarmentosa

Claytonia caroliniana

Phenology Flowering May–Aug. Flowering Mar–Jun.
Habitat Moist tundra and meadows Wetlands and riparian hardwood forests
Elevation 0-2000 m (0-6600 ft) 0-1400 m (0-4600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; BC; YT; Russia
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CT; GA; IA; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; NC; NH; NY; PA; TN; VA; VT; WI; WV; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Claytonia sarmentosa reproduces almost entirely from stolons and rhizomes.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 4, p. 474. FNA vol. 4, p. 467.
Parent taxa Portulacaceae > Claytonia Portulacaceae > Claytonia
Sibling taxa
C. acutifolia, C. arctica, C. arenicola, C. caroliniana, C. cordifolia, C. exigua, C. gypsophiloides, C. lanceolata, C. megarhiza, C. multiscapa, C. nevadensis, C. ogilviensis, C. palustris, C. parviflora, C. perfoliata, C. rosea, C. rubra, C. saxosa, C. scammaniana, C. sibirica, C. tuberosa, C. umbellata, C. virginica, C. washingtoniana
C. acutifolia, C. arctica, C. arenicola, C. cordifolia, C. exigua, C. gypsophiloides, C. lanceolata, C. megarhiza, C. multiscapa, C. nevadensis, C. ogilviensis, C. palustris, C. parviflora, C. perfoliata, C. rosea, C. rubra, C. sarmentosa, C. saxosa, C. scammaniana, C. sibirica, C. tuberosa, C. umbellata, C. virginica, C. washingtoniana
Synonyms Montia sarmentosa C. caroliniana var. lewisii, C. caroliniana var. spatulifolia
Name authority C. A. Meyer: Nouv. Mém. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 1: 137. (1829) Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 160. (1803)
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