Claytonia lanceolata (Lanced-Leaved Spring Beauty) - photos and description
Many plants May 11th in a south facing
draw, Cypress Hills
General: A spring ephemeral, its life cycle is similar to a spring bulb. Grows from a small corm, plants glabrous. We have seen the ground carpeted white with the flowers of these tiny plants in early May.
Flowers: Flowers with five white petals, lined reddish-pink, two-toothed, measured to 22 mm in diameter. Umbel of two to 5 flowers per plant.
Leaves: Two opposite stem leaves, lanceolate, noticeably rubbery/succulent.
Height: Height listed in Budd's Flora to 20 cm, we measured plants to 17 cm in height.
Habitat: South facing, woody ravines, and dried stream beds in our Cypress Upland.
Abundance: Very rare, ranked as an S2 (as of 2021) by the Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre.
Origin: Native.
When and where photographed: Above photos were taken May 8th, May 11th, and June 8th in the Cypress Hills about 450 km southwest of our home in Regina, SK.