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Heuchera merriamii

Canyon Creek alumroot, Merriam's alumroot

range alum-root

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

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

30–50 cm, short or 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 glabrous or long stipitate-glandular;

blade reniform or rounded-cordate, shallowly 5-lobed, 2–6 cm, base cordate, lobes rounded, margins dentate, apex obtuse, surfaces long stipitate-glandular on veins abaxially, glabrous or short stipitate-glandular adaxially.

Inflorescences

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

dense.

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 radially symmetric, free 1–1.8 mm, cream or yellowish green, broadly campanulate, 3–5 mm, short stipitate-glandular;

sepals erect or incurved, green-tipped, equal, 0.6–1.2 mm, apex ovate;

petals usually erect, white, elliptic, (not clawed), unlobed, 0.5–1 mm, margins entire;

stamens included 0.5 mm; (filaments erect or incurved distally, equaling and not concealed by anthers);

styles included 0.5–1 mm, 0.5–1 mm, 0.1+ mm diam.

Capsules

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

ovoid, 5.5–6.5 mm, beaks divergent, not papillose.

Seeds

dark brown, ellipsoid, 0.6 mm.

dark brown, asymmetrically ellipsoid or convex-fusiform, 0.5 mm.

2n

= 14.

= 14.

Heuchera merriamii

Heuchera novamexicana

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug. Flowering Jun.
Habitat Exposed granite ledges in subalpine forests Shaded rocky ledges and outcrops
Elevation 1500-2500 m (4900-8200 ft) 1800-2200 m (5900-7200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM
Discussion

Heuchera merriamii is known from the Siskiyou and Trinity mountains.

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

Heuchera novamexicana occurs in the mountains of Arizona and New Mexico. Populations with glabrous petioles may be found in the Organ Mountains of New Mexico; elsewhere, long stipitate-glandular petioles are more common in the species.

The Navajo Indians took a decoction of roots of Heuchera novamexicana for internal pain. They applied a poultice of split roots to infected sores, swellings, and fractures, and used the plant as a panacea or “life medicine” (D. E. Moerman 1998).

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

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 93. FNA vol. 8, p. 103.
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. hirsutissima, H. longiflora, H. maxima, H. merriamii, H. micrantha, 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), Wheelock: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 17: 200. 1890 (as nova-mexicana) ,
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