Virginia spring beauty
(Claytonia virginica var. virginica)
Conservation • Wetland • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Use • Distribution • Taxonomy
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Description |
Virginia spring beauty is a 3″ to 6″ tall, erect, perennial forb that rises on 1 to a few stems from a rounded, vertical, thickened corm. This is a spring ephemeral. The stems are hairless and light green or reddish green. There are 1 to few basal leaves rising on 2⅓″ to 8″ long leaf stalks. The blades are linear, 1⅓″ to 5½″ long, and 3 ⁄16″ to ¾″ wide. The stem has a single pair of opposite leaves. They are hairless and stalkless or on short leaf stalks that are barely differentiated from the leaf blades. The blades are linear, ⅜″ to 4″ long but rarely less than 2¾″ long. All of the leaves are at least 8 times as long as wide. The inflorescence is an unbranched, elongated, loose cluster at the end of the stem. The cluster has 5 to 19 flowers on slender, ½″ to 1″ long flower stalks. The flowers are fragrant and 3 ⁄16″ to ½″ in diameter. They have 5 petals that are white or pinkish with fine pink stripes. There are only 2 sepals beneath the petals. On sunny days the flowers open and the stems become erect. On cloudy days and at night the buds remain closed and the stalks droop. The fruit is an egg-shaped capsule with several seeds. |
Height |
3″ to 6″ |
Flower Color |
White or pinkish with fine pink stripes |
Similar Species |
Carolina spring beauty (Claytonia caroliniana var. caroliniana) has broad egg-shaped to oblong leaves that are 3 to 8 times as long as wide. The stalk of the stem leaves is obviously distinguishable from the leaf. It is much less common in Minnesota, its range restricted to the northeast and Hennepin County. |
Habitat |
Moderate moisture. Woods. Dappled sunlight. |
Ecology |
Flowering |
April to June |
Pests and Diseases |
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Use |
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Distribution |
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| 4/21/2024 | ||
Nativity |
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Native |
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Occurrence |
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Taxonomy |
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Kingdom |
Plantae (green algae and land plants) |
Subkingdom |
Viridiplantae (green plants) |
Infrakingdom |
Streptophyta (land plants and green algae) |
Superdivision |
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Division |
Tracheophyta (vascular plants) |
Subdivision |
Spermatophytina (seed plants) |
Class |
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Superorder |
Caryophyllanae |
Order |
Caryophyllales (pinks, cactuses, and allies) |
Family |
Montiaceae (pussypaw) |
Genus |
Claytonia (spring beauties) |
Section |
Claytonia |
Species |
Claytonia virginica (Virginia spring beauty) |
Subordinate Taxa |
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Synonyms |
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Claytonia media Claytonia robusta |
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Common Names |
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narrowleaf spring beauty narrow-leaved spring beauty spring beauty springbeauty Virginia spring beauty Virginia springbeauty Virginia spring-beauty |
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Glossary
Corm
A short, solid, vertical, thickened, underground stem that serves as a storage organ.
Linear
Long, straight, and narrow, with more or less parallel sides, like a blade of grass.
Spring ephemeral
Early blooming, short-lived wildflower that emerges in early spring and disappears by early summer. They develop above-ground parts in March or April, quickly flower and go to seed, then die back to their underground parts by May or June.
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Nancy Falkum |
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Plant |
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Slideshows |
Claytonia virginica |
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Other Videos |
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Early Spring Signs Of Plant Life - Foraging Edible Spring Beauty |
About
Published on Apr 5, 20131 Foraging for wild edible and medicinal plants of late winter and early spring. Plants harvested were spring beauty, garlic mustard, basswood buds and mullein. This was a harsh late winter with lots of ice and snow, and many of the plants that normally survive through the winter months didn't fair so well. It's getting toward the end of the season for harvesting most wild root crops, pretty soon they will be springing up from the ground, the roots will get pithy and no longer be palatable. If you'd like to find more up to date information on foraging wild plants and mushrooms, what is in season right now, and information on the best field guides and identification books I use visit my Facebook page. www.facebook.com/michigan.wilderness Thanks for watching, subscribing, and supporting this channel. If you like this video please give a thumbs up and share it with others. If you have any questions or tips please leave a comment. |
Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica) |
About
Published on Mar 23, 2012 Spring Beauty in Bloom. It is an early wildflower (Claytonia virginica) |
Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica) |
About
Uploaded on Apr 12, 2011 http://www.InBloomThisWeek.com A delicate Spring Beauty flower. |
Visitor Sightings |
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| Nancy Falkum 5/6/2022 |
Location: Whitewater WMA, Main Branch Unit |
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