Claytonia exigua Torr. & A. Gray
pale springbeauty (Pallid claytonia ; serpentine springbeauty)
Montiaceae (Purslane family)
(Previously in Portulacaceae)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
pale springbeauty (Pallid claytonia ; serpentine springbeauty)
Montiaceae (Purslane family)
(Previously in Portulacaceae)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
SUBTAXA PRESENT IN BC
Species Information
General:
Annual herb from a slender taproot; stems erect, simple, bluish-green, 1-15 cm tall.
Leaves:
Basal leaves numerous, linear, 2-12 cm long, 0.5-1.5 mm wide, blue-green; stem leaves paired, opposite, linear to linear-lanceolate, 0.5-4 cm long, free or fused on one side less than half their length, bluish-green.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of stalked to unstalked racemes 5-20 mm long with 2-7 flowers on recurved stalks, the stalks 3-10 mm long, with one bract subtending the lowest flower; petals 5, white or pale pink, 2.5-4.5 mm long; sepals 2, 1-2 mm long.
Fruits:
Capsules, 2-3 mm long; seeds 3, elliptic, dull black, 1-1.5 mm long, with small rounded swellings (at 20x magnification), the appendages brownish, fleshy or shrunken.