The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links
Heuchera merriamii

Canyon Creek alumroot, Merriam's alumroot

sandia mountain alumroot

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

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

7–15 cm, short 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 short or long stipitate-glandular;

blade orbiculate, deeply 5-lobed, 0.5–2 cm, base cordate, lobes rounded, margins dentate, apex obtuse, surfaces short stipitate-glandular and sparsely long stipitate-glandular on veins abaxially, short stipitate-glandular adaxially.

Inflorescences

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

dense, (secund).

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 moderately bilaterally symmetric, free 1–1.5 mm, reddish or dark rose, campanulate, 4–5.5 mm, short stipitate-glandular proximally, long stipitate-glandular distally;

sepals somewhat spreading, darker red on tips, equal, 0.8–1.8 mm, apex obtuse or rounded;

petals spreading, pink, lanceolate, (clawed), unlobed, 2–2.5 mm (longer than sepals), margins entire;

stamens exserted 1 mm;

styles exserted 1–1.8 mm, 1.5–2 mm, 0.1+ mm diam.

Capsules

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

ovoid, 5 mm, beaks divergent, not papillose.

Seeds

dark brown, ellipsoid, 0.6 mm.

dark brown, ellipsoid, 0.8 mm.

2n

= 14.

Heuchera merriamii

Heuchera pulchella

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug. Flowering Aug–Sep.
Habitat Exposed granite ledges in subalpine forests Canyons and mountain slopes
Elevation 1500-2500 m (4900-8200 ft) 2700-3200 m (8900-10500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NM
[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 pulchella occurs in northern and central New Mexico. It resembles H. abramsii, H. brevistaminea, H. caespitosa, and H. elegans; it is isolated geographically from the other species of this complex, all of southern California.

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

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 93. FNA vol. 8, p. 100.
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. novamexicana, H. parishii, H. parviflora, H. parvifolia, H. pilosissima, H. pubescens, H. richardsonii, H. rubescens, H. sanguinea, H. villosa, H. wootonii
Name authority Eastwood: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 32: 199. 1905 (as merriami), Wooton & Standley: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 16: 130. (1913)
Web links