Claytonia virginica L.

Virginia Spring Beauty; Eastern Spring Beauty

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Virginia Spring Beauty is a native perennial herb in the Spring Beauty Family (Montiaceae). It is found most commonly in the northern half of Alabama, with scattered locations in south Alabama. It appears to be absent from the Wiregrass Region on southeast Alabama. Virginia Spring Beauty can be found in lawns, on roadsides, in wetlands, in moist woods, in prairies, and in pastures. It is a perennial with a globose corm or tuber. The basal leaves are petiolate, linear, glabrous, with entire margins. The cauline leaves are sessile and linear. Flowers are produced in racemes. The racemes have 6-20 pedicellate flowers. The flowers have 2 leaf-like sepals and 5 white to pink petals. The petals are striped with dark pink/lavender. The fruit is a 3-valved capsule with shiny, smooth seeds bearing an elaisome. Virginia Spring Beauty is one of two species of Claytonia that occur in Alabama. The second species, Carolina Spring Beauty (Claytonia caroliniana Michaux), has only been documented in the extreme northeast counties of Alabama. It has shorter, wider leaves. Virginia Spring Beauty is one of our earliest flowering wildflowers, and often creates spectacular displays in woodlands, fields, lawns, and roadsides. The flower color ranges from white with pink stripes, through deep pink. The flowers only open when the sun is shining, and close at night and on rainy days. Several varieties with different chromosome numbers have been described, and polyploidy is common.--A. Diamond

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Native

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