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Micranthes lyallii

Lyall's saxifrage, red-stemmed saxifrage

mountain saxifrage, redwool saxifrage, western saxifrage

Habit Perennial with well-developed rhizomes, often forming small mats. Herbaceous perennial from short, horizontal rhizomes, the 1-3 leafless, pubescent stems 1-2.5 dm. tall.
Leaves

Leaves all basal, the leaves wedge-shaped to fan-shaped, 10-25 mm. long and nearly as broad, coarsely dentate with 7-9 teeth, with slender petioles of similar length, glabrous or with a few soft, brown hairs.

Leaves basal, the blades elliptic, up to 6 cm. long and 3 cm. wide, with 15-30 rounded teeth;

petioles slightly winged, 1-3 times as long as the blades.

Flowers

Inflorescence, calyx and fruits often bright red; inflorescence a cyme with up to 15 flowers, the peduncles slender, often with linear, entire bracts;

calyx lobed almost to the base, the 5 lobes oblong-lanceolate, 2-3 mm. long, sharply reflexed;

petals 5, white, aging to pink, 2.5-4 mm. long, the blade oblong-oval, rounded to a short, broad claw;

stamens 10, equaling the petals, the filaments white, club-shaped;

carpels often 3-5, fused only 0.5-1 mm., the ovary mostly superior, the carpels tapered to styles less than 1 mm. long.

: Inflorescence pyramidal, somewhat compact, up to 10 cm. long, the branches ascending;

calyx divided about half its length, the 5 ovate lobes 1-2.5 mm. long;

petals 5, white, broadly elliptic, 1.5-3 mm. long;

stamens 10, the filaments club-shaped;

ovary less than 1/3 inferior

Fruits

Follicle 7-12 mm. long exclusive of the slender, divergent, stylar beaks.

Follicles greenish

Micranthes lyallii

Micranthes occidentalis

Flowering time July-September May-August
Habitat Wet, gravelly meadows and along streams and ponds at high elevations. Dry to wet open areas, rock crevices, meadows, and streambanks from moderate to high elevations in the mountains.
Distribution
Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in northern Washington; Alaska to Washington, east to Alberta, Idaho, and Montana.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Both sides of the Cascades in Washington; Alaska south to Oregon and Nevada, east to Saskatachewan and south to New Mexico.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Origin Native Native
Conservation status Not of concern Not of concern
Sibling taxa
M. apetala, M. ferruginea, M. fragosa, M. gormanii, M. idahoensis, M. integrifolia, 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. odontoloma, M. oregana, M. rufidula, M. tischii, M. tolmiei
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