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Richardson's alum-root

Senator Mine alumroot

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

(7–)20–95 cm, densely long stipitate-glandular.

30–50 cm, short or 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 nearly glabrous or short to long stipitate-glandular;

blade (purple abaxially, variegated adaxially), orbiculate-cordate, shallowly 5-lobed, 2.5–8.5 cm, base cordate, lobes rounded, margins dentate, apex short-apiculate, surfaces short to long stipitate-glandular abaxially, short stipitate-glandular or sparsely long stipitate-glandular adaxially.

Inflorescences

dense to diffuse.

dense.

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 weakly bilaterally symmetric, free 1.5–2 mm, cream or greenish, broadly turbinate or campanulate, 3–4.5 mm, short or sparsely medium stipitate-glandular;

sepals 6, incurved at apex, red-tipped, equal, 1–1.5 mm, apex acute;

petals absent or (1–)6 and much reduced, erect, greenish, lanceolate, unlobed, 1 mm, margins entire;

stamens 6, included 1 mm;

styles included 1.5 mm, to 1 mm, 0.1+ mm diam.

Capsules

ovoid, 7–14.5 mm, beaks divergent, not papillose.

ovoid, 5–7 mm, beaks divergent, not papillose.

Seeds

dark or very dark brown, ellipsoid, 0.6–0.9 mm.

dark brown, asymmetrically ellipsoid or convex-fusiform, 0.6 mm.

2n

= 14, 28.

Heuchera richardsonii

Heuchera eastwoodiae

Phenology Flowering May–Jun. Flowering May–Aug.
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) 1500-1900 m (4900-6200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; IA; IL; IN; KS; MI; MN; MO; MT; ND; NE; OK; SD; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NT; ON; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ
[BONAP county map]
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.)

Heuchera eastwoodiae occurs in central Arizona and is unique in the genus for its hexamerous flowers.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 96. FNA vol. 8, p. 102.
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. micrantha, H. novamexicana, H. parishii, H. parviflora, H. parvifolia, H. pilosissima, H. pubescens, H. pulchella, 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. 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. villosa, H. wootonii
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) Rosendahl: Minnesota Stud. Pl. Sci. 2: 152. (1936)
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