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Carolina spring-beauty

arctic claytonia, arctic springbeauty

Habit Plants perennial, with globose tubers 10–20 mm diam.; periderm 1–5 mm. Plants perennial, with stout to slender, often fusiform, woody caudices; periderm 1–12 mm.
Stems

6–25 cm.

1–10 cm.

Leaves

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.

basal leaves petiolate, often dilated at base, blade spatulate to elliptic, 2–15 × 0.5–1 cm, thinly herbaceous, apex obtuse;

cauline leaves sessile, blade elliptic or oval, 0.5–2 × 0.5–1 cm.

Inflorescences

1-bracteate (rarely with 2 bracts).

ebracteate.

Flowers

8–12 mm diam.;

sepals 3–5 mm;

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

ovules 6.

12–20 mm diam.;

sepals 6–8 mm;

petals yellow or white with yellow blotch at base, 10–12 × 3–8 mm;

ovules 6.

Seeds

2–4 mm, shiny and smooth;

elaiosome 1–2 mm.

2–3 mm diam., shiny and smooth to tuberculate;

elaiosome 1–2 mm.

2n

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

= 10.

Claytonia caroliniana

Claytonia arctica

Phenology Flowering Mar–Jun. Flowering Jun–Jul.
Habitat Wetlands and riparian hardwood forests Snow beds in talus, rocks, and gravels
Elevation 0-1400 m (0-4600 ft) 0-2000 m (0-6600 ft)
Distribution
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]
from FNA
AK; Russia
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 4, p. 467. FNA vol. 4, p. 467.
Parent taxa Portulacaceae > Claytonia Portulacaceae > Claytonia
Sibling taxa
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
C. acutifolia, 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. sarmentosa, C. saxosa, C. scammaniana, C. sibirica, C. tuberosa, C. umbellata, C. virginica, C. washingtoniana
Synonyms C. caroliniana var. lewisii, C. caroliniana var. spatulifolia
Name authority Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 160. (1803) Adams: Mém. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 5: 94. (1817)
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