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urn-flower alum-root

cave alumroot, little-flower alum-root

Habit Herbs subcaulescent; caudex branched. Herbs acaulescent; caudex branched or unbranched.
Flowering stems

10–40 cm, sparsely medium stipitate-glandular.

9–45 cm, short to long stipitate-glandular, 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 usually long stipitate-glandular, sometimes short stipitate-glandular;

blade (often purple abaxially), reniform to orbiculate, shallowly 5–7-lobed, 3–13 cm, base cordate, lobes rounded, margins crenate, apex obtuse, surfaces short or long stipitate-glandular abaxially, short stipitate-glandular adaxially, 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 0.3 mm, white or pink, obconic, 1.2–3.2 mm, short or moderately long stipitate-glandular;

sepals erect, green-tipped, equal, 0.5–1.3 mm, apex rounded;

petals reflexed, white or pink, narrowly oblanceolate, unlobed, 1.5–3.5 mm, margins entire;

stamens exserted 1.2–3.2 mm;

styles exserted 1–3 mm, 1.5–4 mm, to 0.1 mm diam.

Capsules

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

ovoid, 2–5.7 mm, (minutely stipitate-glandular or glabrous), beaks divergent, not papillose.

Seeds

dark brown, ellipsoid, 0.7 mm.

dark brown, ovoid, 0.4–0.6 mm, smooth.

Inflorescenses

dense.

Heuchera elegans

Heuchera parviflora

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
AL; AR; IL; IN; KY; MO; MS; NC; SC; TN; VA; WV
[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 2 (2 in the flora).

The specific epithet, parviflora, is similar to that of another species, Heuchera parvifolia, but these two species are distinct and have different legitimate names. The varieties of H. parviflora are not sympatric. The species merits phylogenetic study. The Blackfoot Indians applied a poultice of the pounded root to sores and swellings (D. E. Moerman 1998).

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

Key
1. Petioles and hypanthia sparsely to densely long stipitate-glandular; leaf blades sparsely to densely long stipitate-glandular abaxially, hairs 0.7- 2.5 mm.
var. parviflora
1. Petioles and hypanthia densely short stipitate- glandular; leaf blades densely short stipitate-glandular abaxially, hairs to 0.6 mm.
var. puberula
Source FNA vol. 8, p. 100. FNA vol. 8, p. 90.
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. micrantha, H. novamexicana, H. parishii, H. parvifolia, H. pilosissima, H. pubescens, H. pulchella, H. richardsonii, H. rubescens, H. sanguinea, H. villosa, H. wootonii
Subordinate taxa
H. parviflora var. parviflora, H. parviflora var. puberula
Name authority Abrams: Bull. S. Calif. Acad. Sci. 1: 67. 1902 , Bartling: Index Seminum (Göttingen) 1838: 4. 1838 ,
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