Note the Leaves
Spring Beauty or Carolina Spring Beauty?
A photo of the flower won’t help. It takes a leaf to make an educated guess. Spring Beauty – Claytonia virginica has a single pair of long, narrow, opposite leaves midway along the stem.
Carolina Spring Beauty – Claytonia caroliniana has much wider, more oval shaped leaves that taper to a distinct petiole.
According to the leaves the Spring Beauty displayed above is a Carolina.
I couldn’t resist posting another Hepaticia flower photo. I found this one next to a moss covered log that made a great background.
OK back to the leaves. I know this is a Sharp Lobed Hepaticia because I looked at the 3 lobed leaf and it certainly didn’t look round to me. It also looked cool with the mottled green coloration. It made it through the winter in pretty good shape.
Usually hidden beneath the leaf litter on the forest floor is another aspect of Hepaticia’s leaves that leans towards the freakish side. I found some growing out of the moss on a rotting log. To me they look like a Muppet that never fully formed.
Did I mention I was happy?
I found some Bloodroot that naturalized in a Vinca bed at the edge of my woods.
And to leave on the right note – here’s a bloodroot leaf shot from last year.
Don’t you just love the way the leaf gently clasps the flower until it’s ready to open?
Thought so.
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April 7th, 2010 at 5:53 pm
what a great post, it made me smile and the humor was just wonderful, thanks for sharing this
April 7th, 2010 at 7:35 pm
The way the leaf gently clasps the flower resembles the breaking of the shell of an egg.
Your friend is smiling, it may think so.
April 7th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
I like the bloodroot, such a pretty little flower, and it is very interesting how the leaves cup the flower. I caught a Trillium ovatum doing something very similar this year, with the leaves tightly wrapped around an emerging bloom.
April 7th, 2010 at 10:25 pm
Great photos…Love the frog!
April 7th, 2010 at 11:12 pm
Excellent flower and leaf pictures. I really like the Sharp Lobed Hepaticia. Those leaves just kind of draw me in. I think I like the frog the best though. I like frogs.
April 8th, 2010 at 9:24 am
Your beauties are beautiful, but Mister Frog is the best! What a look!
April 8th, 2010 at 10:48 pm
Because the title of this tells me to leave the note here it is. Did I ever mention I have dyslexia?
April 9th, 2010 at 12:34 pm
Thanks for your great north country blog. I always learn so much here. You have great eyes.
April 10th, 2010 at 12:15 pm
Lovely pics… Cheers.