Above is the spring wildflower know as Spring Beauty or Claytonia virginica. Found in Eastern North America, its scientific name honors Colonial Virginia botanist John Clayton.
This from the British Natural History Museum:
John Clayton (1694-1773) was one of the early collectors of plant specimens in Virginia, where he was Clerk to the County Court of Gloucester County from 1720 until his death 53 years later. Although he published almost nothing himself, Clayton’s specimens have considerable nomenclatural importance as, having reached Europe and the hands of J.F. Gronovius (1690-1762) by 1735, many of them were studied by the Swedish biologist Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778) and were among the earliest North American specimens that he had seen.
You can see images of some of Clayton original dried plant specimens and notations, like the one seen below for Spring Beauty, at the British Museum of Natural History’s website.
Submitted by/Photo by Jen Payne
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