spring beauties

genus Claytonia

Member of pussypaw family (family Montiaceae)
dicots (class Magnoliopsida)
flowering plants (subphylum Angiospermae)

There are no other wild species of this genus in the bay area.

All bay area species are in section Limnia.

Caution: IDs uncertain

Plants have a rosette of basal leaves which may be green to red, prostrate to erect. The leaf blades may be inconspicuous, making the basal leaves look thoroughly unleaflike. They may instead look very stem-like. Be sure to isolate and highlight the basal leaves for photography.

Plants have exactly 2 opposite cauline leaves per stem, often fused or partially fused into a disc.

Key features:

shape of basal leaves
shape of cauline leaves
number of bracts per inflorescence
flower petal length

candy flower
Claytonia sibirica

cauline leaves are substantial but not fused
bracts throughout inflorescence, 1 for every 1–2 flowers

all others have only a single bract, below the lowest flower

corolla pink

gypsum springbeauty
Claytonia gypsophiloides

cauline leaves are quite small and ± linear [info from CalPhotos; Jepson is much less descriptive]
petals 5–8 mm
corolla pink

serpentine springbeauty
Claytonia exigua ssp. exigua

cauline leaves free and opposite in shape of “crab claws”
petals 2–5 mm
corolla white or pink

glaucous springbeauty
Claytonia exigua ssp. glauca

cauline leaves fused into ± disk
petals ± 2 mm
corolla white or pink

miner’s lettuce
Claytonia perfoliata

cauline leaves substantial, fully fused
basal leaf 1–25 cm long including petiole, blade < 4 cm, < 3× longer than wide, elliptic to reniform
few to many basal leaves, spreading to erect, ± equal
corolla white or pink

redstem springbeauty
Claytonia rubra

cauline leaves substantial, ± fused
basal leaf 1–8 cm long including petiole, blade < 2 cm, < 3× longer than wide, base truncate to wedge-shaped
many basal leaves, prostrate to spreading, smaller inward
corolla white or pale pink

streambank springbeauty
Claytonia parviflora

cauline leaves substantial, fully fused (a common subspecies) or free, linear, and long (a rare subspecies)
basal leaf 1–18 cm long including petiole, blade > 3× longer than wide, base tapered gradually to petiole
corolla white or pink

3 observed taxons / 4 unobserved taxons / 1 key

Chris’s observations: 65 (44 are research grade)

Locations:

Henry Coe SP: 8
Edgewood Park & Natural Preserve: 7
Calero CP: 4
Mt. Madonna SP: 4
Pleasanton Ridge RP: 4
Stevens Creek CP: 4
Coyote Lake / Harvey Bear Ranch CP: 3
El Corte de Madera OSP: 3
Russian Ridge OSP: 3
Santa Teresa CP: 3
Sierra Azul OSP: 3
Skyline Ridge OSP: 2
Waterdog Lake & Open Space: 2
Almaden Quicksilver CP
Alpine Rd.
Alum Rock Park, San Jose
Big Basin SP
Coyote Valley OSP
Ed R. Levin CP
Fort Ord NM
Joseph D. Grant CP
Long Ridge OSP
Pacheco SP
Pinnacles NP
Purisima Creek Redwoods OSP
Rancho Cañada del Oro OSP
Sunol Wilderness RP
Windy Hill OSP

Months:

Feb.: 6
Mar.: 21
Apr.: 17
May: 15
Jun.: 4
Jul.: 2

For more details, use advanced search.

Taxon info: iNaturalist – Calflora – Jepson eFlora – FNA

Bay Area species: iNaturalist – Calflora