Seasonal Wild Flowers

Springbeauty

Claytonia perfoliata

Montiaceae

Miner's lettuce, Winter Purslane, and Indian lettuce

April to July

It is scattered throughout the country, but is most common

in the Midlands, the Southeast and East Anglia

See the BSBI distribution map for Springbeauty

It grows on hedge banks and in open, sandy, disturbed

ground and is both a garden and agricultural weed.

It is a neophyte which was first grown in the UK in the

1790s and has been established in the wild since the

late 1840s.

It is on the increase.

Springbeauty is a dark green, low growing, patch-forming,

annual herb growing up to 30cm.

Flowers are small (5-8mm across) with 5 white petals,

5 stamens and a style with 3 linear stigmas.

Leaves are dark green and fleshy and up to 5cm across.

Lower leaves are long stalked.

Stem leaves are opposite and fused to give the impression

of a single round leaf with the flowering stem rising from

the middle.

Springbeauty on hedge bank, Kirton, Suffolk

Flowers and fused leaves

5 petals and 3 stigmas

5 stamens

Short flower stem

Elongated flower stem