[Spring Beauties and Miner's Lettuce: The Genus Claytonia in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington]
Western Spring Beauty, Lance-leaf Spring Beauty
Claytonia lanceolata
Synonyms: Claytonia caroliniana, Claytonia caroliniana var. piersonii, Claytonia lanceolata ssp. chrysantha, Claytonia lanceolata var. idahoensis, Claytonia lanceolata var. piersonii, Claytonia sessilifolia
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Western spring beauty blooming in the grasslands found atop the Columbia Hills in the Columbia Hills NAP..........April 3, 2013.
The photo
at right shows an attractive cluster of western spring beauty blossoms from Stacker
Butte in the Columbia Hills in the eastern Columbia River Gorge.........late
April, 2005.
Characteristics:
Western spring beauty is a pretty, small, delicate perennial
herb which emerges early in spring. The one to several erect stems arise from
6-20 cm high and arise from a round corm about 5-20 mm in diameter. The few
basal leaves are smooth-surfaced and somewhat waxy with elliptical blades and
a long petiole. The stem leaves are opposite, two per node, and oval to narrowly
lanceolate. They are about 1.5-6 cm long and from 5-20 cm wide. They are sessile
or very short-petiolate.
The inflorescence is a loose raceme with 3-20 flowers. On individual
flowers, the 5 white petals are 7-12 mm long and fused at the base to form a
short tube. Flowers each have 5 stamens and 3 styles. The petals may also be
pink with deeper pink veins or yellow, depending on the variety.
Habitat:
Western spring beauty may be found in seasonally moist grasslands
from the lowlands to moderate elevation in the mountains.
Range:
Western spring beauty may be found from southern British Columbia
south on both sides of the Cascades to southern California, and eastwards to
Alberta and New Mexico.
In the Columbia River Gorge, it may be found between the elevations
of 1100'-4500' between the Wind River and the Columbia Hills.
Uses:
The starchy corms taste like potatoes and may be dug and eaten
before the plant flowers.
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Close-ups of the attractive striped
flowers and lanceolate (with sessile bases) leaf blades of western spring beauty as taken
high along the Dog Mountain Trail in the Columbia River Gorge.........May 4, 2011.
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Western spring beauty in bloom under oaks at Mill Creek Ridge, Wasco County, OR.....March 19, 2020.
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Western spring beauty as seen at left blooming high on the ridgeline of the Columbia Hills Natural Area Preserve..........March 23, 2021.
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Western spring beauty as seen at left blooming high on the ridgeline of the Columbia Hills Natural Area Preserve..........March 5, 2015. The photo at right shows western spring beauties blooming along the ridgetop of the Columbia Hills Natural Area Preserve..........March 24, 2017.
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A western spring beauty blooming at left along the ridgetop of the Columbia Hills Natural Area Preserve..........March 29, 2017. The photo at right shows a creamy-flowered western spring beauty under oaks along trails at the Lyle Cherry Orchard, east of Lyle, WA.....March 11, 2022.
The photo above shows the attractive striped flowers of western
spring beauty as taken at the intersection of FS Rd 82 and the King Mt. Rd on
Mt. Adams, at approximately an elevation of 3560'.........May 7, 2005.
Paul Slichter