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urn-flower alum-root

alum root, crevice alum-root, small-flower alumroot

Habit Herbs subcaulescent; caudex branched. Herbs caulescent; caudex branched.
Flowering stems

10–40 cm, sparsely medium stipitate-glandular.

6–57 cm, short to long stipitate-glandular or glabrous, viscid.

Leaves

petiole long stipitate-glandular;

blade reniform or orbiculate, shallowly 5-lobed, 1.5–3.5 cm, base cordate or truncate, lobes rounded, margins dentate, apex obtuse, surfaces short or long stipitate-glandular.

petiole glabrous or sparsely to densely short to long stipitate-glandular;

blade orbiculate to polygonal, shallowly to deeply 5–7(–9)-lobed, 2.5–10 cm, base cordate, lobes rounded, margins dentate, apex rounded or obtuse, surfaces glabrous or short to long stipitate-glandular, viscid.

Inflorescences

diffuse.

Flowers

hypanthium strongly bilaterally symmetric, free 3–3.5 mm on adaxial side, pink to purplish, narrowly cylindric or cylindric-urceolate, 4–7 mm, short stipitate-glandular proximally, densely long stipitate-glandular distally;

sepals spreading, green-tipped, unequal, 2 mm on adaxial side of hypanthium, apex obtuse or rounded;

petals spreading, white, broadly oblanceolate, (clawed), unlobed, 3–4 mm (longer than sepals), margins entire;

stamens included 0.5 mm to exserted 0.5 mm;

styles included to 2 mm, 1.5–2 mm, 0.1+ mm diam.

hypanthium radially symmetric, free to 1.5 mm, greenish white, often tinged with red, obconic to hemispheric, broadly turbinate, or campanulate, 1–4.9 mm, long stipitate-glandular, sometimes short stipitate-glandular proximally;

sepals spreading to nearly erect, green- or red-tipped, equal, 0.5–1.8 mm, apex rounded to acute or mucronate;

petals often coiled, white or pale pink, oblanceolate, (narrowly clawed), unlobed, 1.6–3.3 mm (2–3 times as long as sepals), margins entire;

stamens exserted to 3 mm;

styles exserted to 2.5 mm, 0.2–4.2 mm, to 0.1 mm diam.

Capsules

urceolate, 4–6 mm, beaks divergent, not papillose.

ovoid, 3–8.5 mm, beaks divergent, not papillose.

Seeds

dark brown, ellipsoid, 0.7 mm.

black, broadly ellipsoid, (not curved), 0.5–0.8 mm.

Inflorescenses

dense.

Heuchera elegans

Heuchera micrantha

Phenology Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Rocky sites in yellow pine and red fir forests
Elevation 1500-2600 m (4900-8500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
from FNA
CA; ID; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Heuchera elegans occurs in the mountains of southern California, chiefly in the San Gabriel Range in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties and vicinity. It resembles H. caespitosa. This group is in need of phylogenetic study.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Varieties 5 (5 in the flora).

The Skagit Indians rubbed pounded plants of Heuchera micrantha on hair to make it grow and applied it to cuts. The Thompson Indians used a mashed poultice of this root mixed with Douglas fir pitch for wounds. Chewed leaves and roots were spat on sores or wounds. Infusions of roots were taken for liver trouble and sore throat. Small, peeled, cleaned root pieces were chewed for mouth sores and gum boils (D. E. Moerman 1998).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Leaf blades orbiculate to pentagonal, shallowly lobed.
var. micrantha
1. Leaf blades pentagonal or heptagonal, deeply lobed
→ 2
2. Inflorescences short stipitate-glandular; petioles short stipitate-glandular or sparsely long stipitate-glandular
→ 3
2. Inflorescences long stipitate-glandular; petioles short to long stipitate-glandular
→ 4
3. Hypanthia hemispheric, 1 times long as wide; petals 0.4-1.4 mm wide.
var. macropetala
3. Hypanthia obconic, 1.4 times longer than wide; petals 0.2-0.6 mm wide.
var. erubescens
4. Hypanthia long stipitate-glandular, sepal apex rounded to acute.
var. hartwegii
4. Hypanthia sparsely long stipitate-glandular, sepal apex acute to mucronate
var. diversifolia
Source FNA vol. 8, p. 100. FNA vol. 8, p. 91.
Parent taxa Saxifragaceae > Heuchera Saxifragaceae > Heuchera
Sibling taxa
H. abramsii, H. alba, H. americana, H. bracteata, H. brevistaminea, H. caespitosa, H. caroliniana, H. chlorantha, H. cylindrica, H. eastwoodiae, H. glabra, H. glomerulata, H. grossulariifolia, H. hallii, H. hirsutissima, H. longiflora, H. maxima, H. merriamii, H. micrantha, H. novamexicana, H. parishii, H. parviflora, H. parvifolia, H. pilosissima, H. pubescens, H. pulchella, H. richardsonii, H. rubescens, H. sanguinea, H. villosa, H. wootonii
H. abramsii, H. alba, H. americana, H. bracteata, H. brevistaminea, H. caespitosa, H. caroliniana, H. chlorantha, H. cylindrica, H. eastwoodiae, H. elegans, H. glabra, H. glomerulata, H. grossulariifolia, H. hallii, H. hirsutissima, H. longiflora, H. maxima, H. merriamii, H. novamexicana, H. parishii, H. parviflora, H. parvifolia, H. pilosissima, H. pubescens, H. pulchella, H. richardsonii, H. rubescens, H. sanguinea, H. villosa, H. wootonii
Subordinate taxa
H. micrantha var. diversifolia, H. micrantha var. erubescens, H. micrantha var. hartwegii, H. micrantha var. macropetala, H. micrantha var. micrantha
Name authority Abrams: Bull. S. Calif. Acad. Sci. 1: 67. 1902 , Douglas ex Lindley: Edwards’s Bot. Reg. 15: plate 1302. 1830 ,
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