Tuberous Springbeauty

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.

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.

B.C., N.W.T., Yukon; Alaska; Asia (Siberia).

Flowering May-Aug.

Wet to moist stony tundra slopes; 0-1200m.

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

Claytonia tuberosa Pall. ; Schultes, in R. & S. Syst. Veg. 5 : 436 1819.
Corm 1-2.5 cm. in diameter, ovoid; stem 2 dm. high, erect; basal leaves unknown; stemleaves linear, sessile, 2-5 cm. long, 2-5 mm. wide, acute; raceme 3-12-flowered, 5-10 cm. long, with a single round bract; pedicels about 3 cm. long, recurved in fruit; sepals ovate, 5-7 mm. long, obtuse or acute; petals white, 12 mm. long, obovate, slightly and broadly retuse; capsule 4 mm. long; seeds black, shining, orbicular, 2 mm. long.
Ty'PE locality': Eastern Siberia. Distribution: Alaska and eastern Siberia.

Claytonia tuberosa, commonly known as Beringian springbeauty or tuberous springbeauty, (Inupiaq: oatkuk, ulqit, utqiq, ulqiq) is a species of flowering plant in the family Montiaceae. It is a perennial herb indigenous to Alaska, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, and the Yukon of North America, westward to East Asia–Siberia. The perennial grows from a globose tuberous root to a height of 15 centimetres (6 in) and bears several hermaphrodite white flowers on stems bearing a single pair of petiolate cauline leaves. Its closest relative is probably Claytonia virginica.