[Spring Beauties and Miner's Lettuce: The Genus Claytonia East of the Cascade
Mountains of Oregon and Washington]
Heart-leaf Springbeauty, Broad-leaf Spring-beauty, Broad-leaf Montia
Claytonia cordifolia
Synonyms: Claytonia sibirica var. cordifolia, Montia cordifolia
This photo shows heart-leaf springbeauty as photographed along forest road #4030 on the north side of Mt. Misery in the Umatilla N.F. of southeastern Washington..........July 7, 2008.
The photo
at right shows a close up of a flower heart-leaf springbeauty as seen at Paddy Go Easy
Pass, Wenatchee N.F.......July 24, 1996.
Characteristics:
Heart-leaf springbeauty is an attractive perennial of moist
places in the forest with a thick, horizontal rootstock from which arise clumps
of one to several simple, unbranched stems from 10-30 cm high. There are several
basal leaves which are cordate (heart-shaped), about 3-6 cm wide and almost
as long with petioles 2-3 times longer than the blades. There are two opposite
stem leaves which are broadly lanceolate to ovate and from 1-5 cm wide.
The inflorescence is a raceme arising from the axils of the
stem leaves. The raceme is 4-12 flowered. On individual flowers, the 2 sepals
are 2 mm long while the 5 white petals are from 8-13 mm long. There are 5 pink-tipped
stamens.
Current classification has changed the genus name from Montia
to Claytonia.
Habitat:
Heart-leaf springbeauty is found on wet soils, especially along
streams or the edges of ponds, in moist, shady woods.
Range:
Heart-leaf springbeauty may be found from southern British Columbia
south along both sides of the Cascade Mts. to northern California and east to
western Montana and northern Utah.
This photo shows heart-leaf springbeauty blooming amongst the numerous toothed leaves of brook saxifrage (Micranthes odontoloma) as photographed on the banks of Lodgepole Creek along along the Line Butte Trail #870 on the south side of Lookout Mountain, Ochoco N.F...........June 22, 2017.
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This photo at left shows several basal leaves of heart-leaf springbeauty as photographed along forest road #4030 on the north side of Mt. Misery in the Umatilla N.F. of southeastern Washington..........July 7, 2008.
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Heart-leaf springbeauty as observed at left along the Lick Creek Trail #1809 at the crossing of Lick Creek, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area......July 17, 2019.
The photo at right shows heart-leaf springbeauty blooming on the west branch of upper Lake Creek where the Skyline Trail #385 crosses it west of High Lake, Strawberry Mountain Wilderness.....July 8, 2023.
The photo above shows the ventral surface of the leaf of broad-leaf
montia, photographed at Jackman Park Campground, Steens Mt..........June 26,
2000.
The photo above is a close-up the flower of broad-leaf montia,
photographed at Jackman Park Campground, Steens Mt..........June 26, 2000.
Heart-leaf springbeauty as seen from Zig Zag
Canyon, Timberline Trail, Mt. Hood Wilderness......August 2, 1991.
Paul Slichter