Beringian spring beauty

Claytonia caroliniana Michaux var. tuberosa (Pallas ex Willdenow) B. Boivin

Plants perennial, with globose tubers 10-30 mm, rarely rhizomatous; periderm 5-20 mm. Stems 15-25 cm. Leaves: basal leaves usually absent or few, blade linear, 4-15 × 0.4-0.8 cm; cauline leaves sessile, blade linear to lanceolate, 2-7 × 0.2-0.6 cm, tapered to slender base, apex acute. Inflorescences 1-multibracteate; proximalmost bract leaflike, distal bracts minute, membranous scales. Flowers 12-20 mm diam.; sepals 4-6 mm; petals white with yellow blotch at base, 6-14 mm; ovules 6. Seeds 2-3 mm diam., shiny and smooth; elaiosome 1 mm. 2n = 16, 24, 30.

Flowering May-Aug. Wet to moist stony tundra slopes; 0-1200 m; B.C., N.W.T., Yukon; Alaska; Asia (Siberia).

Claytonia czukczorum was included by S. L. Welsh (1974) and E. Hultén (1968) as a variety of C. tuberosa. Based upon the author’s study of type material, it is grouped with C. multiscapa.