24.
Claytonia virginica
Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 204. 1753.
Eastern spring beauty
Claytonia virginica
var.
hammondiae
(Kalmbacher) J. J. Doyle, W. H. Lewis & D. B. Snyder
Plants
perennial, with globose tubers 10-200 mm diam.; periderm 0-0.5 mm.
Stems
5-40 cm.
Leaves:
basal leaves petiolate 6-20 cm, blade linear, 3-14 × 0.5-1.3 cm; cauline leaves sessile, blade linear, 1-10 cm, tapered to slender base.
Inflorescences
1-bracteate, rarely with 2 or more bracts; bracts reduced apically, scalelike.
Flowers
5-12 mm diam.; sepals 5-7 mm; petals white to pinkish or rose (rarely yellow or orange) or white with pink-lavender candy-stripes, 7-14 mm; ovules 6.
Seeds
2-3 mm diam., shiny and smooth; elaisome 1-2 mm.
2
n
= 12-190.
Flowering Mar-Apr. Wetlands, seeps, moist woods, riparian hardwood forests, copses, bluffs, ravines, prairies; 0-1000 m; Ont., Que.; Ala., Ark., Conn., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Nebr., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Okla., Pa., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Va., W.Va., Wis.
SELECTED REFERENCES
Lewis, W. H. and J. C. Semple. 1977. Geography of
Claytonia virginica
cytotypes. Amer. J. Bot. 64: 1078-1082. Rothwell, N. V. 1959. Aneuploidy in
Claytonia virginica
. Amer. J. Bot. 46: 353-360.
