Claytonia virginica

Family:MONTIACEAE
Species:Claytonia virginica L.
Common Name:Virginia Spring Beauty; Eastern Spring Beauty
Habitat:**
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Herb
Duration:Perennial
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:**
Plant Notes: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
Taxonomic Notes:**
Status:Native
References:**
Specimen: View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

FamilyMONTIACEAE - Spring Beauty family
Genus Claytonia
Species Claytonia virginica L. - Virginia Spring Beauty; Eastern Spring Beauty

Citation

Citation Claytonia virginica Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 204. 1753.
Basionym: **
Type: USA: TEXAS: Banks of the Rio Grande, Jul 1834, Berlandier 2407 (lectotype: GH; isolectotypes: MO, US). Lectotypified by J. D. Sauer, Madrono 13: 31. 1955.

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

SynonymFull CitationBasionymType
Claytonia media    

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Autauga, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Butler, Calhoun, Cherokee, Choctaw, Cleburne, Colbert, Cullman, Dallas, Elmore, Escambia, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Hale, Jackson, Jefferson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lee, Limestone, Lowndes, Macon, Madison, Marengo, Marion, Marshall, Mobile, Montgomery, Morgan, Pickens, Randolph, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Walker

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AUA, JSU, SAMF, TROY, UNA, UWAL, UWFP

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 1934 - 1988

Barcode / Accession No.
County
Coll. Date
Collector &
Collection No.
Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used
Image
TROY000044768 Autauga 14 Feb 2017 Parker, Matthew R.
356
TROY
Claytonia virginica Linnaeus
UWAL0046782 Autauga 14 Feb 2017 Parker, Matthew R.
356
UWAL
Claytonia virginica Linnaeus
SAMF0003730 Bibb 03 Apr 2003 Davenport, Lawrence J.
2820
SAMF
Claytonia virginica Linnaeus
UWAL0052536 Bibb 16 Mar 2019 Keener, Brian R.
11013
UWAL
Claytonia virginica L.
SAMF0003733 Blount 04 Mar 1956 Avery, J.C.
s.n.
SAMF
Claytonia virginica Linnaeus
UNA00053704 Blount 14 Mar 1997 Keener, Brian R.
26
UNA
Claytonia virginica L.
UNA00054261 Blount 29 Mar 1999 Keener, Brian R.
1850
UNA
Claytonia virginica L.
JSU133603 Blount 29 Mar 1999 Keener, Brian R.
1850
JSU
Claytonia virginica Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_62100 Blount 29 Mar 1999 KEENER, BRIAN R.
1850
AUA
CLAYTONIA VIRGINICA L.
UWAL0014845 Bullock 21 Feb 2013 Dykes, Bailee
1511
UWAL
Claytonia virginica Linnaeus
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