Burke: Micranthes apetala vs. Micranthes tolmiei

	Micranthes apetala	Micranthes tolmiei
	Tiny swamp saxifrage, western swamp saxifrage	alpine saxifrage, Tolmie's alpine saxifrage, Tolmie's saxifrage
Habit		Low, mat-forming perennial with numerous sterile, leafy branches, the flowering stems erect, 3-8 cm. tall, glabrous or pubescent with purplish-tipped hairs.
Leaves		Leaves glabrous, entire, fleshy and nearly terete, 3-10 mm. long, spatulate to oblanceolate, narrowed to a broad base; cauline leaves usually none, occasionally 1-3, reduced.
Flowers		Flowers terminal and single, or 2-4 in a loose inflorescence; calyx saucer-shaped, glabrous, often purplish-tinged, the 5 oval, spreading lobes 2-3 mm. long; petals 5, white, up to twice as long as the calyx lobes, broadly oblanceolate, narrowed to the base; stamens 10, the filaments somewhat petaloid.
Fruits		Ovary about 1/4 inferior at flowering; capsule ovoid, 8-12 mm. long, purplish-mottled; carpels sometimes 3 or more.

	Micranthes apetala	Micranthes tolmiei
Flowering time	March-May	June-September
Habitat	Vernally moist meadows at low to middle elevations.	Mountain meadows, scree, and rock crevices at moderate to high elevations.
Distribution	Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to Oregon, east to Idaho and Montana. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	Occurring in the Olympic and Cascade mountains in Washington; Alaska south to California, east to Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Utah. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Origin	Native	Native
Conservation status	Not of concern	Not of concern
Sibling taxa	M. ferruginea, M. fragosa, M. gormanii, M. idahoensis, M. integrifolia, M. lyallii, M. nelsoniana, M. nidifica, M. occidentalis, M. odontoloma, M. oregana, M. rufidula, M. tischii, M. tolmiei	M. apetala, M. ferruginea, M. fragosa, M. gormanii, M. idahoensis, M. integrifolia, M. lyallii, M. nelsoniana, M. nidifica, M. occidentalis, M. odontoloma, M. oregana, M. rufidula, M. tischii
Web links	Local floras: OR, WA Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Micranthes apetala

Micranthes tolmiei

Tiny swamp saxifrage, western swamp saxifrage

alpine saxifrage, Tolmie's alpine saxifrage, Tolmie's saxifrage

Habit

Low, mat-forming perennial with numerous sterile, leafy branches, the flowering stems erect, 3-8 cm. tall, glabrous or pubescent with purplish-tipped hairs.

Leaves

Leaves glabrous, entire, fleshy and nearly terete, 3-10 mm. long, spatulate to oblanceolate, narrowed to a broad base;

cauline leaves usually none, occasionally 1-3, reduced.

Flowers

Flowers terminal and single, or 2-4 in a loose inflorescence;

calyx saucer-shaped, glabrous, often purplish-tinged, the 5 oval, spreading lobes 2-3 mm. long;

petals 5, white, up to twice as long as the calyx lobes, broadly oblanceolate, narrowed to the base;

stamens 10, the filaments somewhat petaloid.

Fruits

Ovary about 1/4 inferior at flowering; capsule ovoid, 8-12 mm. long, purplish-mottled;

carpels sometimes 3 or more.