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Carolina spring-beauty

Lake Washington claytonia, Lake Washington miner's lettuce, Lake Washington springbeauty, Suksdorf's Spring beauty, Washington spring-beauty

Habit Plants perennial, with globose tubers 10–20 mm diam.; periderm 1–5 mm. Plants annual, with minute, tuberous body; periderm absent.
Stems

6–25 cm.

3–15 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, 2–30 cm, blade rhombic or ovate, 2–3 cm;

cauline leaves sessile, distinct or slightly connate on 1 side only, blade ovate, 1–3 cm.

Inflorescences

1-bracteate (rarely with 2 bracts).

multibracteate, or with 2–several bracts near base of inflorescence;

bracts leaflike, 2–10 mm.

Flowers

8–12 mm diam.;

sepals 3–5 mm;

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

ovules 6.

4–8 mm diam.;

sepals 2–3.5 mm;

petals pink, 3–4 mm;

ovules 3.

Seeds

2–4 mm, shiny and smooth;

elaiosome 1–2 mm.

1–2 mm diam., shiny and smooth;

elaiosome 1 mm.

2n

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

= 24.

Claytonia caroliniana

Claytonia washingtoniana

Phenology Flowering Mar–Jun. Flowering Jan–Jun.
Habitat Wetlands and riparian hardwood forests Coastal bluffs and disturbed places associated with red alder and moss mats in boulders and cliffs of moist coastal forests
Elevation 0-1400 m (0-4600 ft) 0-500 m (0-1600 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
CA; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Claytonia washingtoniana is a fertile hybrid between C. sibirica and C. perfoliata.

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. umbellata, C. virginica
Synonyms C. caroliniana var. lewisii, C. caroliniana var. spatulifolia Montia washingtoniana
Name authority Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 160. (1803) (Suksdorf) Suksdorf: Werdenda 1: 10. (1923)
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