[Spring Beauties and Miner's Lettuce: The Genus Claytonia in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington]

Pale Montia, Pale Springbeauty

Claytonia exigua ssp. exigua

Synonyms: Claytonia spathulata, Claytonia spathulata var. exigua, Claytonia spathulata var. spathulata, Montia spathulata, Montia spathulata var. exigua, Montia spathulata var. spathulata

Pale Montia, Pale Springbeauty: Claytonia exigua ssp. exigua (Synonyms: Claytonia spathulata, Claytonia spathulata var. exigua, Claytonia spathulata var. spathulata, Montia spathulata, Montia spathulata var. exigua, Montia spathulata var. spathulata)

Pale montia as seen at the crest of the Columbia Hills in the eastern Columbia River Gorge.........May 5, 2005. Note the horn-like leaves subtending the inflorescence, a useful characteristic to help distinguish from the similar var. glauca which has a rounded, perfoliate stem leaf below the inflorescence. Note also the glaucous cast to the entire plant, the narrow, erect basal rosette of leaves and the claw-like pair of stem leaves subtending the short inflorescence of this species.

Pale Montia, Pale Springbeauty: Claytonia exigua ssp. exigua (Synonyms: Claytonia spathulata, Claytonia spathulata var. exigua, Claytonia spathulata var. spathulata, Montia spathulata, Montia spathulata var. exigua, Montia spathulata var. spathulata) Pale montia from Stacker Butte, Columbia Hills, Columbia River Gorge, Washington...........April, 2002.
Characteristics:

Pale montia is a small, glaucous annual with one to several simple, erect stems from 10-60 cm long. The numerous basal leaves are linear to linear-spatulate, measuring from 2-6 cm long and 0.5-1.5 mm wide. The two stem leaves are opposite, wider and larger than the basal leaves. They are linear-lanceolate to lanceolate-ovate in shape and measure from 5-40 mm long. As seen from the photos, the stem leaves can appear somewhat similar in appearance to the claw of a crab.

The racemes measure from 5-20 mm long. The 2-7 flowers are whitish to pink in color, with the 2 sepals 1-2 mm long and the petals from 2.5-4.5 mm long.


Habitat:

Pale montia is found on seasonally moist to dry soils in the lowlands.


Range:

Pale montia may be found from southern British California south along the western edge of the Washington Cascades to the Columbia River, and south along both sides of the Oregon Cascades to southern California.

In the Columbia River Gorge, it may be found east of Bingen, WA between the elevations of 100'-2600'.


Glaucous Springbeauty, Pallid Claytonia: Claytonia exigua ssp. glauca (Synonyms: Montia perfoliata ssp. glauca, Montia perfoliata var. glauca)

Pale springbeauty as seen on bare clay hillsides above Swale Creek in Klickitat County..........May 8, 2010.

Inflorescence and stem leaves of Glaucous Springbeauty, Pallid Claytonia: Claytonia exigua ssp. glauca (Synonyms: Montia perfoliata ssp. glauca, Montia perfoliata var. glauca) - Inflorescence and stem leaves of Glaucous Springbeauty, Pallid Claytonia: Claytonia exigua ssp. glauca (Synonyms: Montia perfoliata ssp. glauca, Montia perfoliata var. glauca)

Close-ups of the inflorescence and notched but still joined pair of stem leaves of pale springbeauty. The glaucous coloration of the foliage is evident here..........May 8, 2010.

Pale Montia, Pale Springbeauty: Claytonia exigua ssp. exigua (Synonyms: Claytonia spathulata, Claytonia spathulata var. exigua, Claytonia spathulata var. spathulata, Montia spathulata, Montia spathulata var. exigua, Montia spathulata var. spathulata) - Pale Montia, Pale Springbeauty: Claytonia exigua ssp. exigua (Synonyms: Claytonia spathulata, Claytonia spathulata var. exigua, Claytonia spathulata var. spathulata, Montia spathulata, Montia spathulata var. exigua, Montia spathulata var. spathulata)

Pale springbeauty observed along the trail up from the parking area to the ridgeline at Mill Creek Ridge Preserve, a Columbia Land Trust property near The Dalles, OR.....April 11, 2024.

Glaucous Springbeauty, Pallid Claytonia: Claytonia exigua ssp. glauca (Synonyms: Montia perfoliata ssp. glauca, Montia perfoliata var. glauca) - Glaucous Springbeauty, Pallid Claytonia: Claytonia exigua ssp. glauca (Synonyms: Montia perfoliata ssp. glauca, Montia perfoliata var. glauca)

Additional photos of pale springbeauty as seen on bare clay hillsides above Swale Creek in Klickitat County.........May 8, 2010.

Pale Montia, Pale Springbeauty: Claytonia exigua ssp. exigua (Synonyms: Claytonia spathulata, Claytonia spathulata var. exigua, Claytonia spathulata var. spathulata, Montia spathulata, Montia spathulata var. exigua, Montia spathulata var. spathulata) - Pale Montia, Pale Springbeauty: Claytonia exigua ssp. exigua (Synonyms: Claytonia spathulata, Claytonia spathulata var. exigua, Claytonia spathulata var. spathulata, Montia spathulata, Montia spathulata var. exigua, Montia spathulata var. spathulata)

Pale springbeauty as seen on mossy cliffs on the north side of Chenoweth Table west of The Dalles, Oregon.........March 28, 2013. Note several dwarf miner's-lettuce (Montia dichotoma) around the pale springbeauty in the photo at left.

Pale Montia, Pale Springbeauty: Claytonia exigua ssp. exigua (Synonyms: Claytonia spathulata, Claytonia spathulata var. exigua, Claytonia spathulata var. spathulata, Montia spathulata, Montia spathulata var. exigua, Montia spathulata var. spathulata) - Pale Montia, Pale Springbeauty: Claytonia exigua ssp. exigua (Synonyms: Claytonia spathulata, Claytonia spathulata var. exigua, Claytonia spathulata var. spathulata, Montia spathulata, Montia spathulata var. exigua, Montia spathulata var. spathulata)

Pale springbeauty as seen on ground burned by the 2014 wildfire which swept across the southeastern slopes of Sevenmile Hill several miles northwest of The Dalles, Oregon.........March 30, 2015.

Pale Montia, Pale Springbeauty: Claytonia exigua ssp. exigua (Synonyms: Claytonia spathulata, Claytonia spathulata var. exigua, Claytonia spathulata var. spathulata, Montia spathulata, Montia spathulata var. exigua, Montia spathulata var. spathulata)

Pale springbeauty from Stacker Butte, Columbia Hills, Columbia River Gorge, Washington..........April, 2002.

Paul Slichter