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Carolina spring-beauty

Great Basin claytonia, Great Basin springbeauty, umbellate springbeauty

Habit Plants perennial, with globose tubers 10–20 mm diam.; periderm 1–5 mm. Plants perennial, with globose tubers 10–50 mm diam., mature plants rhizomatous; periderm 5–20 mm.
Stems

6–25 cm.

2–25 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 somtimes absent, petiolate, 5–25 cm, blade elliptic to rhombic, 1–3 × 0.2–2 cm;

cauline leaves petiolate, blade elliptic to ovate 1.5–5 × 1–3 cm, abruptly tapered at base.

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.

8–14 mm diam.;

sepals 5–7 mm;

petals pink to magenta, 6–12 mm;

ovules 6.

Seeds

2–4 mm, shiny and smooth;

elaiosome 1–2 mm.

1–2 mm, smooth and shiny;

elaiosome 1 mm or less.

2n

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

= 16.

Claytonia caroliniana

Claytonia umbellata

Phenology Flowering Mar–Jun. Flowering May–Aug.
Habitat Wetlands and riparian hardwood forests North- and east-facing talus and scree slopes of drier mountain areas, subalpine coniferous forests
Elevation 0-1400 m (0-4600 ft) 100-3000 m (300-9800 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
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[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

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

Source FNA vol. 4, p. 467. FNA vol. 4, p. 475.
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. 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. sarmentosa, C. saxosa, C. scammaniana, C. sibirica, C. tuberosa, C. virginica, C. washingtoniana
Synonyms C. caroliniana var. lewisii, C. caroliniana var. spatulifolia
Name authority Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 160. (1803) S. Watson: Botany (Fortieth Parallel), 43, plate 6, figs. 4, 5. (1871)
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