Heuchera micrantha |
Heuchera alba |
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alum root, crevice alum-root, small-flower alumroot |
white alumroot |
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| Habit | Herbs caulescent; caudex branched. | Herbs acaulescent; caudex branched. | ||||||||||||||||
| Flowering stems | 6–57 cm, short to long stipitate-glandular or glabrous, viscid. |
often leafy, 26–77 cm, short stipitate-glandular. |
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| Leaves | 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. |
petiole glabrous or short stipitate-glandular; blade broadly ovate to cordate, shallowly 5-lobed, 4.5–9 cm, base cordate or nearly truncate, lobes rounded to widely ovate, margins dentate, apex acute or obtuse, surfaces glabrous or sparsely stipitate-glandular, at least on veins. |
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| Inflorescences | diffuse. |
diffuse. |
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| Flowers | 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. |
hypanthium moderately bilaterally symmetric, free 3.5–4.5 mm, green, campanulate, abruptly inflated distal to adnation to ovary, 7.5–11 mm, short stipitate-glandular; sepals spreading, green-tipped, equal, 3–4 mm, apex rounded (sinuses narrower than petals); petals inflexed, white, broadly spatulate, unlobed, 2.8–3.5 mm, margins fimbriate; stamens 2 mm included to 2 mm exserted; styles included 0.5–1 mm, 4–6 mm, to 0.1 mm diam. |
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| Capsules | ovoid, 3–8.5 mm, beaks divergent, not papillose. |
ovoid, 9–10 mm, beaks divergent, not papillose. |
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| Seeds | black, broadly ellipsoid, (not curved), 0.5–0.8 mm. |
dark brown, ellipsoid, 0.6–1 mm. |
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Heuchera micrantha |
Heuchera alba |
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| Phenology | Flowering May–Jun. | |||||||||||||||||
| Habitat | Shaded or exposed sandstone rock outcroppings, ridges, and peaks | |||||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 1300-1500 m [4300-4900 ft] | |||||||||||||||||
| Distribution |
CA; ID; OR; WA; BC
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VA; WV |
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| Discussion | 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.) |
Of conservation concern. Heuchera alba occurs on sandstone ridges in the Ridge and Valley Province. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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| Key |
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| Name authority | Douglas ex Lindley: Edwards’s Bot. Reg. 15: plate 1302. 1830 , | Rydberg: Torreya 26: 31, plate 2. (1926) | ||||||||||||||||
| Source | FNA vol. 8, p. 91. | FNA vol. 8, p. 96. | ||||||||||||||||
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