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Heuchera merriamii

Canyon Creek alumroot, Merriam's alumroot

shaggyhair alum-root

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

11–32 cm, long stipitate-glandular or glabrate.

10–40 cm, short stipitate-glandular and sparsely long stipitate-glandular.

Leaves

petiole (2.4–5 cm), moderately long stipitate-glandular;

blade orbiculate, reniform, or pentagonal, shallowly 5–7-lobed, 2.5–4.5 cm, base shallowly cordate to truncate, lobes rounded, margins dentate, apex rounded to obtuse, surfaces finely long stipitate-glandular abaxially, sparsely long stipitate-glandular adaxially.

petiole long stipitate-glandular;

blade orbiculate to reniform, shallowly 5-lobed, 1–1.5 cm, base cordate, lobes rounded, margins dentate, apex obtuse, surfaces long stipitate-glandular.

Inflorescences

dense; (bracts linear and scarious to 3–5-parted and herbaceous).

Flowers

hypanthium radially symmetric, free 0.5–1.5 mm, pink, hemispheric, 3–5.5 mm, (base rounded), densely long stipitate-glandular;

sepals erect, green- or red-tipped, equal, 1–2 mm (often wider than long), apex obtuse;

petals erect, white, oblanceolate, (clawed), unlobed, 2–3.5 mm, margins entire;

stamens exserted 0.8–2 mm;

styles exserted 1–2 mm, 1.5–2.5 mm, 0.1+ mm diam.

hypanthium strongly bilaterally symmetric, free 0.8 mm on abaxial side, 1.8 mm on adaxial side, pink, narrowly cylindric, 5–6.5 mm, short stipitate-glandular proximally, densely long stipitate-glandular distally;

sepals spreading, green- and red-tipped, unequal, 0.5–1.5 mm on abaxial side of hypanthium, to 0.5 mm on adaxial side, apex rounded;

petals spreading, white, oblanceolate, (clawed), unlobed, 2–2.5 mm (equaling or longer than sepals, rarely shorter), margins entire;

stamens exserted to 0.5 mm;

styles included to 0.5 mm, 1.5 mm, 0.1+ mm diam.

Capsules

ovoid, 3–5 mm, beaks divergent, not papillose.

ovoid, 3 mm, beaks divergent, not papillose.

Seeds

dark brown, ellipsoid, 0.6 mm.

dark brown, ellipsoid, ca. 0.7 mm.

Inflorescenses

dense.

2n

= 14.

= 14.

Heuchera merriamii

Heuchera hirsutissima

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug. Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Exposed granite ledges in subalpine forests Fir and subalpine forest
Elevation 1500-2500 m (4900-8200 ft) 2100-3500 m (6900-11500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Heuchera merriamii is known from the Siskiyou and Trinity mountains.

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

Of conservation concern.

Heuchera hirsutissima is known from Mount San Jacinto and the San Jacinto Mountains of Riverside County and possibly the San Bernardino Mountains of San Bernardino County. It resembles H. caespitosa and H. elegans, except for its densely villous hypanthium and minute adaxial sepals.

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

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 93. FNA vol. 8, p. 99.
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. elegans, H. glabra, H. glomerulata, H. grossulariifolia, H. hallii, H. hirsutissima, H. longiflora, H. maxima, 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. 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
Name authority Eastwood: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 32: 199. 1905 (as merriami), Rosendahl: Minnesota Stud. Pl. Sci. 2: 110. (1936)
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