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Photo is of parent taxon

crevice alumroot, small-flower alumroot

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

Habit Herbs caulescent; caudex branched.
Flowering stems

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

Leaves

petiole glabrous or long stipitate-glandular;

blade orbiculate to pentagonal, shallowly lobed.

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

glabrous or sparsely short to medium stipitate-glandular.

diffuse.

Flowers

hypanthium obconic, 1.4–4.5 × 1–3.7 mm, short to long stipitate-glandular;

sepals 0.6–1.2 mm, apex rounded to acute;

petals 0.2–0.7 mm wide;

styles 1.6–3.1 mm.

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

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

Seeds

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

2n

= 28.

Heuchera micrantha var. micrantha

Heuchera micrantha

Phenology Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Evergreen coniferous forests on basalt, schistose shale, metavolcanic, ultra basic, or serpentine-derived soils
Elevation 10-1900 m (0-6200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; OR; WA
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; ID; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Variety micrantha occurs in the Coast Range, Cascade Range, Blue and Klamath mountains, northern Sierra Nevada, and the Columbia River gorge, and on wooded banks of the Columbia and its tributaries.

(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. 91. FNA vol. 8, p. 91.
Parent taxa Saxifragaceae > Heuchera > Heuchera micrantha Saxifragaceae > Heuchera
Sibling taxa
H. micrantha var. diversifolia, H. micrantha var. erubescens, H. micrantha var. hartwegii, H. micrantha var. macropetala
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 unknown Douglas ex Lindley: Edwards’s Bot. Reg. 15: plate 1302. 1830 ,
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