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

hairy alum-root, maple-leaf alum-root

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

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

10–85 cm, 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 long stipitate-glandular;

blade rounded-cordate, orbiculate, or oblong, often ± polygonal, deeply (5–)7–9+-lobed, 3–26 cm, base cordate to nearly truncate, lobes ovate to triangular, margins dentate to serrate, apex obtuse to acute, surfaces glabrous or long stipitate-glandular.

Inflorescences

diffuse.

dense to diffuse.

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 0.2–0.5 mm, white or pink, obconic or subglobose, 1.5–3.6 mm, usually long stipitate-glandular, sometimes sparsely long-stipitate or glabrous;

sepals erect, green-tipped, equal, 0.5–1.7 mm, apex rounded;

petals often coiled, sometimes reflexed, white, linear, lanceolate, or oblanceolate, unlobed, 1–3 mm, margins entire;

stamens exserted 2–2.5 mm;

styles exserted 1.5–2.5 mm, 2–4 mm, to 0.1 mm diam.

Capsules

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

ovoid, 3–6.4 mm, beaks divergent, not papillose.

Seeds

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

dark brown, fusiform, 0.5–0.9 mm.

Heuchera micrantha

Heuchera villosa

Distribution
map from FNA
CA; ID; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
map from FNA
AL; AR; GA; IN; KY; MO; MS; NC; OH; PA; SC; TN; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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.)

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

(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. novamexicana, H. parishii, H. parviflora, H. parvifolia, H. pilosissima, H. pubescens, H. pulchella, H. richardsonii, H. rubescens, H. sanguinea, H. wootonii
Subordinate taxa
H. micrantha var. diversifolia, H. micrantha var. erubescens, H. micrantha var. hartwegii, H. micrantha var. macropetala, H. micrantha var. micrantha
H. villosa var. arkansana, H. villosa var. villosa
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
1. Inflorescences dense to diffuse, internodes in floral branchlets 0.7-3 mm; pedicels 0.9-3 mm; hypanthia obconic or subglobose, long stipitate-glandular; petals 0.1-0.2 mm wide; e of the Prairies.
var. villosa
1. Inflorescences dense, internodes in floral branchlets 0.3-1 mm; pedicels 0.2-0.9 mm; hypanthia subglobose, glabrous or sparsely long stipitate-glandular; petals 0.2-0.4 mm wide; Arkansas.
var. arkansana
Name authority Douglas ex Lindley: Edwards’s Bot. Reg. 15: plate 1302. 1830 , Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 172. 1803 ,
Source FNA vol. 8, p. 91. Treatment authors: Elizabeth Fortson Wells, Barbara Greene Shipes. FNA vol. 8, p. 89. Treatment authors: Elizabeth Fortson Wells, Barbara Greene Shipes.
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