Spring beauty appears in sunny spots in damp woods and meadows in April. Note the thin grass-like leaves, which are found in opposite pairs halfway up the stem. Under the petals you will find two sepals, a characteristic of the Purslane family.
The scientific name Claytonia virginica honors John Clayton, an eighteenth century Virginia lawyer with a passion for botany. A friend of Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, Clayton sent many specimens of American flora to his scientific correspondents in Europe, including Linnaeus. Unfortunately Clayton's own manuscripts, ready for publication, were destroyed during the Revolution.