Claytonia virginica hammondiae

Description

Springbeauty is a perennial plant, overwintering through a corm. It is a trailing plant growing to 5-40 cm long. The leaves are slender lanceolate, 3-14 cm long and 0.5-1.3 cm broad, with a 6-20 cm long petiole.The flowers are 0.7-1.4 cm diameter with five pale pink or white (rarely yellow) petals,and reflect UV light. It has a raceme inflorescence, in which its flowers branch off of the shoot. The individual flowers bloom for three days, although the five stamens on each flower are only active for a single day. Flowering occurs between March and May depending on part of its range and weather. The seeds are between 0.2-0.3 cm in diameter and a shiny black.The seeds are released from the capsule fruit when it breaks open. Elaiosomes are present on the seeds and allow for ant dispersal.