PINK PURSLANE

Claytonia sibirica

(Formerly: Montia sibirica)
Blinks Family [Montiaceae]

month8apr month8april month8may month8jun month8june month8jul month8july

status
statusZneophyte
flower
flower8pink
inner
inner8white
inner
inner8yellow
morph
morph8actino
petals
petalsZ5
stem
stem8round

25th April 2011, Parkhead Steel Works, Daisy Nook, Gtr Mcr. Photo: © RWD
Likes growing in shady damp places where it tends to spread rampantly.


25th April 2011, Parkhead Steel Works, Daisy Nook, Gtr Mcr. Photo: © RWD
In the dappled shade in a woods.


19th April 2011, Denshaw, Gtr Mcr. Photo: © RWD
Quite a prolific flowerer when conditions are right.


25th April 2015, Dibbinsdale, Bromborough, Wirral. Photo: © RWD


19th April 2011, Denshaw, Gtr Mcr. Photo: © RWD
Leaves broad, somewhat fleshy and lanceolate on longish stalks, which can become reddish (as here, middle left). The basal leaves and stem leaves are very similar to those of Springbeauty.


19th April 2011, Denshaw, Gtr Mcr. Photo: © RWD
Ace-of-Spades stem leaves are broad and opposite; from which flowering stalks emerge similar to those in Springbeauty. Flowers cupped by just a couple of cup-shaped sepals.


19th April 2011, Denshaw, Gtr Mcr. Photo: © RWD
Un-like those of Springbeauty the stem leaf is not fused into a single stem-encircling cup, but is comprised of two un-fused Ace-of-Spades leaves. Also, the flowers are about thrice the size of those of Spring Beauty.


Manners Wood, Bakewell, Derbys. Photo: © RWD
Note the yellow spots on the petals near the centre of the flower, which are not always prominent.


19th April 2011, Denshaw, Gtr Mcr. Photo: © RWD
Five pinkish, slightly notched, petals with purplish veins. White stamens lying almost flat on the petals and having most unusual pink pollen. Yellow spots hardly discernible.


19th April 2011, Pobgreen, Saddleworth, Gtr Mcr. Photo: © RWD
Albino flowers exist, with just the pollen being pink. But both also have yellow spots near the centre of the flower, sometimes hard to discern.


25th April 2015, Dibbinsdale, Bromborough, Wirral. Photo: © RWD
Has but two sepals with the termination well rounded.


19th April 2011, Pobgreen, Saddleworth, Gtr Mcr. Photo: © RWD
Un-opened flower buds droop downwards/


19th April 2011, Pobgreen, Saddleworth, Gtr Mcr. Photo: © RWD
The basal leaves are spoon shaped with an Ace-of-Spades leaf at the end of an elevated stalk, identical to those of Springbeauty (Claytonia perfoliata) to which it is related. The stems are also pinkish and emerge from a bulbous root base like those of Spring Beauty.


CULTIVATED GARDEN SPECIMENS

2nd June 2009, Chipping, Lancs. Photo: © RWD
Popular with gardeners and growing in a garden. These are prolifically flowering cultivated specimens with very diminutive stem leaves.


2nd June 2009, Chipping, Lancs. Photo: © RWD
Cultivated specimen with very diminutive stem leaves.


Manners Wood, Bakewell, Derbys. Photo: © RWD
Possible cultivated white form, judging by the density of the flowers.


Manners Wood, Bakewell, Derbys. Photo: © RWD
Where each plant bears multiple flowers, tier upon tier.


Manners Wood, Bakewell, Derbys. Photo: © RWD
Notice the yellow splodges on the petals in the centre of the flower. The pink ones (native and garden) also have yellow splodges, but which are less easily seen in the pink colouring, and are half hidden by the folded-over stamens.


Not to be confused with : Sea Purslane nor with Common Purslane [plants with similar names but belonging to differing families].

Not to be mistaken for: Springbeauty to which it is related, being in the same genus. The basal leaves emanate from a pinkish bulbous base, like those of Springbeauty with which it shares the same Genus name, and which are terminated by an Ace-of-Spades shaped leaf almost identical to that of Springbeauty. The flowers are up to three times larger than those of Springbeauty. Whereas Springbeauty has a fused leaf from which flower stalks emerge, Pink Purslane has a couple of un-fused Ace-of-Spades shaped leaves opposite each other from which flowering stalks bifurcate.

Some similarities to : Pink-Sorrel, French Crane's-bill, Druce's Crane's-bill, Herb-Robert and several other Cranesbills in that the flowers are pink with five petals.

Stem leaves somewhat similar to those of Greater Periwinkle.

Compare the white version with: Grass-of-Parnassus, which also has five white petals with yellow splodges. The two are not in any way confusable, just oddly congruent.

Occupies damp shady places, such as woods and beside gloomy streams. The Claytonia Genus, of which Pink Purslane is a member, was once ascribed to the Portulaceae (Purslane Family), but on closer inspection has since been moved to a new Montiaceae (Blinks Family).

A non-native plant that was introduced to the UK in the 1768 for gardens from where it was introduced in 1838 and has been escaping ever since, spreading widely and invasively. It is native to Eastern Asia and western North America. It is a hairless annual (sometimes perennial) herb with a brittle stem growing up to 40cm high in damp shaded bare areas in open semi-natural woodlands or by streams. It rapidly colonises the ground shading other plants from growth in spring before unceremoniously collapsing on top of them at its end-of-season. Its seeds are readily washed downstream to further its dominance.


  Claytonia sibirica  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Montiaceae  

Distribution
 family8Blinks family8Montiaceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Claytonia
Claytonia
(Purslane)

PINK PURSLANE

Claytonia sibirica

(Formerly: Montia sibirica)
Blinks Family [Montiaceae]

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