The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

coralbells

Carolina alum-root

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

20–40 cm, short and sometimes long stipitate-glandular.

leafy, 30–105 cm, short stipitate-glandular.

Leaves

petiole long stipitate-glandular;

blade reniform to orbiculate, shallowly 5–7-lobed, 2–5.5 cm, base cordate, lobes rounded, margins dentate, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces long stipitate-glandular on veins abaxially, glabrous or sparsely long stipitate-glandular adaxially.

petiole glabrous or short stipitate-glandular;

blade broadly ovate, shallowly 5-lobed, 3–10.5 cm, base cordate or nearly truncate, lobes rounded or ovate, margins dentate, apex acute or obtuse, surfaces glabrous or minutely stipitate-glandular on veins abaxially, glabrous or short stipitate-glandular adaxially.

Inflorescences

moderately dense to diffuse.

diffuse.

Flowers

hypanthium weakly bilaterally to radially symmetric, free 2.5–2.8 mm, dark pink to red, broadly campanulate or urceolate, 4–8 mm, short stipitate-glandular proximally, sparsely long stipitate-glandular distally;

sepals spreading, darker red-tipped, equal, 2–3 mm, apex oblong or rounded;

petals spreading, pink or cream, narrowly oblanceolate, unlobed, 1.2–1.8 mm (shorter than sepals), margins entire;

stamens included 1.5–3 mm;

styles included 1.5–3 mm, 1.5–2 mm, 0.1+ mm diam.

hypanthium weakly bilaterally symmetric, free 1.3–2.5 mm, green, subglobose, abruptly inflated distal to adnation to ovary, 2.8–4.5 mm, short stipitate-glandular;

sepals erect, green-tipped, equal, 0.4–1.5 mm, apex rounded;

petals erect, white or pink, broadly spatulate, unlobed, 0.6–1 mm, margins entire;

stamens exserted 0.2–1.5 mm;

styles included from 1 mm to exserted 1.1 mm, 1–3.5 mm, to 0.1 mm diam; (stigmas from 0.5 mm included to 1.1 mm exserted).

Capsules

ovoid, 4.5–6 mm, beaks divergent, not papillose.

ovoid, 4–7 mm, beaks divergent, not papillose.

Seeds

dark brown, ellipsoid, 0.5–0.6 mm, bluntly spiny.

dark brown, ellipsoid, 0.5–0.8 mm.

2n

= 14.

Heuchera sanguinea

Heuchera caroliniana

Phenology Flowering Mar–Oct. Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Moist, shaded rocks Rich upland woods on base-saturated substrates, basic dikes and basic rock outcroppings
Elevation 1200-2600 m (3900-8500 ft) 30-300 m (100-1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NC; SC; VA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Heuchera sanguinea occurs in the southwestern United States and northern Chihuahua, Mexico, and is widely cultivated throughout the cooler parts of North America.

Heuchera sanguinea varies considerably within populations in shape, lobing, and size of leaves, in amount of hairs, and in shape, form, and color of flowers. Rydberg recognized var. pulchra as characterized by denser inflorescences and longer hairs on its pedicels, inferior part of the ovary, and sepals. Mixed populations with individuals bearing longer and shorter hairs can be found throughout the range of the species, especially in Arizona. It seems best to recognize H. sanguinea as a variable species without infraspecific taxa.

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

The geographic range of Heuchera caroliniana is contiguous with and appears to be a southern extension of that of H. pubescens. Heuchera americana var. americana occurs in counties adjacent to the range of H. caroliniana but they are sympatric only along the boundary; intergradation between the two is infrequent. Mixed populations of H. caroliniana and H. americana var. americana have not been seen.

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

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 100. FNA vol. 8, p. 95.
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. richardsonii, H. rubescens, H. villosa, H. wootonii
H. abramsii, H. alba, H. americana, H. bracteata, H. brevistaminea, H. caespitosa, 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. villosa, H. wootonii
Synonyms H. sanguinea var. pulchra H. americana var. caroliniana
Name authority Engelmann: in F. A. Wislizenus, Mem. Tour N. Mexico, 107. 1848 , (Rosendahl Butters & Lakela) E. F. Wells: Rhodora 81: 575. (1979)
Web links