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

range alum-root

Habit Herbs caulescent; caudex branched. Herbs acaulescent; caudex branched.
Flowering stems

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

30–50 cm, short or long stipitate-glandular.

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 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

diffuse.

dense.

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

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

Seeds

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

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

2n

= 14.

Heuchera micrantha

Heuchera novamexicana

Phenology Flowering Jun.
Habitat Shaded rocky ledges and outcrops
Elevation 1800-2200 m [5900-7200 ft]
Distribution
map from FNA
CA; ID; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
map from FNA
AZ; NM
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.)

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.)

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. 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
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
Subordinate taxa
H. micrantha var. diversifolia, H. micrantha var. erubescens, H. micrantha var. hartwegii, H. micrantha var. macropetala, H. micrantha var. micrantha
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
Name authority Douglas ex Lindley: Edwards’s Bot. Reg. 15: plate 1302. 1830 , Wheelock: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 17: 200. 1890 (as nova-mexicana) ,
Source FNA vol. 8, p. 91. Treatment authors: Elizabeth Fortson Wells, Barbara Greene Shipes. FNA vol. 8, p. 103. Treatment authors: Elizabeth Fortson Wells, Barbara Greene Shipes.
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