Heuchera richardsonii |
Heuchera caespitosa |
|
---|---|---|
Richardson's alum-root |
tuft alumroot, urn-flower alum-root |
|
Habit | Herbs acaulescent; caudex branched. | Herbs subcaulescent; caudex branched. |
Flowering stems | (7–)20–95 cm, densely long stipitate-glandular. |
10–40 cm, long stipitate-glandular. |
Leaves | petiole densely or sparsely long or short stipitate-glandular; blade broadly ovate or cordate, deeply 5–7-lobed, 2.5–10 cm, base cordate or nearly truncate, lobes rounded, margins dentate, apex acute, surfaces long stipitate-glandular abaxially, glabrous or long stipitate-glandular adaxially. |
petiole long stipitate-glandular; blade reniform or orbiculate, shallowly 5-lobed, 1–4 cm, base cordate or truncate, lobes rounded, margins dentate, apex obtuse, surfaces short or long stipitate-glandular. |
Inflorescences | dense to diffuse. |
|
Flowers | hypanthium strongly bilaterally symmetric, free 2–7 mm, green, campanulate, abruptly inflated distal to adnation to ovary, 5–14 mm, short stipitate-glandular; sepals erect, green-tipped, equal, 1.3–4.2 mm, apex rounded (sinuses wider than petals); petals erect, green or greenish white, rarely pink, narrowly spatulate, unlobed, 1.3–4 mm, margins finely dentate or coarsely fimbriate; stamens 1.5 mm included to 4 mm exserted; styles from 0.6 mm included to 0.3 mm exserted, 4–6 mm, to 0.1 mm diam. |
hypanthium strongly bilaterally symmetric, free 2–2.8 mm on adaxial side, pink to purplish, narrowly campanulate, widening at mouth, 4–7 mm, short stipitate-glandular proximally, long stipitate-glandular distally; sepals spreading, green-tipped, equal, 1–1.2 mm, apex rounded; petals spreading, white, oblanceolate, (clawed), unlobed, 2–2.5 mm (longer than sepals), margins entire; stamens included 0.5 mm to exserted 0.5 mm; styles to 0.5 mm included, 1.5 mm, 0.1+ mm diam. |
Capsules | ovoid, 7–14.5 mm, beaks divergent, not papillose. |
ovoid, 4 mm, beaks divergent, not papillose. |
Seeds | dark or very dark brown, ellipsoid, 0.6–0.9 mm. |
dark brown, ellipsoid, 0.7 mm. |
Inflorescenses | moderately dense. |
|
2n | = 14, 28. |
|
Heuchera richardsonii |
Heuchera caespitosa |
|
Phenology | Flowering May–Jun. | Flowering Jun. |
Habitat | Moist or dry, low or upland prairies, basic rock outcroppings and bluffs, sandy, dry woods | Shaded, rocky slopes |
Elevation | 200-800 m (700-2600 ft) | 1900-2300 m (6200-7500 ft) |
Distribution |
CO; IA; IL; IN; KS; MI; MN; MO; MT; ND; NE; OK; SD; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NT; ON; SK
|
CA
|
Discussion | Heuchera richardsonii intergrades with H. americana where their ranges overlap in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, and Oklahoma; the intergrading form is recognized here as H. americana var. hirsuticaulis. Heuchera hispida (H. americana var. hispida here; see thereunder) was confused with H. richardsonii for almost a hundred years, until C. O. Rosendahl et al. (1933) pointed out that the plants from the Midwest then passing as H. hispida Pursh were distinct from Pursh’s species and were H. richardsonii. The Blackfoot, Cree, Lakota, and Woodlands Indians used decoctions and infusions of the roots of Heuchera richardsonii for diarrhea and as an eyewash, and the Lakota applied a poultice of powdered roots to sores (D. E. Moerman 1998). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Of conservation concern. Heuchera caespitosa occurs in the western Transverse Ranges in Kern, San Bernardino, Tulare, and Ventura counties, and in the Outer South Coast Ranges, southern Sierra Nevada foothills, and southern Sierra Nevada. It is very similar to H. abramsii, H. brevistaminea, H. hirsutissima, and H. pulchella; the group needs thorough phylogenetic analysis. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 8, p. 96. | FNA vol. 8, p. 100. |
Parent taxa | Saxifragaceae > Heuchera | Saxifragaceae > Heuchera |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | H. richardsonii var. affinis, H. richardsonii var. grayana, H. richardsonii var. hispidior | |
Name authority | R. Brown: in J. Franklin et al., Narr. Journey Polar Sea, 766, plate 29. (1823) | Eastwood: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. 2, 6: 426, plate 57. (1896) |
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