Heuchera sanguinea |
Heuchera merriamii |
|
---|---|---|
coralbells |
Canyon Creek alumroot, Merriam's alumroot |
|
Habit | Herbs acaulescent; caudex branched. | Herbs acaulescent; caudex branched or unbranched. |
Flowering stems | 20–40 cm, short and sometimes long stipitate-glandular. |
11–32 cm, long stipitate-glandular or glabrate. |
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 (2.4–5 cm), moderately long stipitate-glandular; blade orbiculate, reniform, or pentagonal, shallowly 5–7-lobed, 2.5–4.5 cm, base shallowly cordate to truncate, lobes rounded, margins dentate, apex rounded to obtuse, surfaces finely long stipitate-glandular abaxially, sparsely long stipitate-glandular adaxially. |
Inflorescences | moderately dense to diffuse. |
dense; (bracts linear and scarious to 3–5-parted and herbaceous). |
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 radially symmetric, free 0.5–1.5 mm, pink, hemispheric, 3–5.5 mm, (base rounded), densely long stipitate-glandular; sepals erect, green- or red-tipped, equal, 1–2 mm (often wider than long), apex obtuse; petals erect, white, oblanceolate, (clawed), unlobed, 2–3.5 mm, margins entire; stamens exserted 0.8–2 mm; styles exserted 1–2 mm, 1.5–2.5 mm, 0.1+ mm diam. |
Capsules | ovoid, 4.5–6 mm, beaks divergent, not papillose. |
ovoid, 3–5 mm, beaks divergent, not papillose. |
Seeds | dark brown, ellipsoid, 0.5–0.6 mm, bluntly spiny. |
dark brown, ellipsoid, 0.6 mm. |
2n | = 14. |
|
Heuchera sanguinea |
Heuchera merriamii |
|
Phenology | Flowering Mar–Oct. | Flowering Jul–Aug. |
Habitat | Moist, shaded rocks | Exposed granite ledges in subalpine forests |
Elevation | 1200-2600 m (3900-8500 ft) | 1500-2500 m (4900-8200 ft) |
Distribution |
AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua)
|
CA; OR
|
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.) |
Heuchera merriamii is known from the Siskiyou and Trinity mountains. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 8, p. 100. | FNA vol. 8, p. 93. |
Parent taxa | Saxifragaceae > Heuchera | Saxifragaceae > Heuchera |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | H. sanguinea var. pulchra | |
Name authority | Engelmann: in F. A. Wislizenus, Mem. Tour N. Mexico, 107. 1848 , | Eastwood: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 32: 199. 1905 (as merriami), |
Web links |