Micranthes apetala |
Micranthes aprica |
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tiny swamp saxifrage, western swamp saxifrage |
Sierra saxifrage |
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Habit | Plants solitary or in clusters, with bulbils on caudices, or short-rhizomatous. | Plants solitary, in clumps, or sometimes mat-forming, with bulbils on caudices, or rhizomatous. |
Leaves | basal; petiole flattened, 0.5–3 cm; blade ± ovate, 2–5 cm, ± fleshy, base attenuate, margins entire or crenulate, eciliate, surfaces hairy. |
basal; petiole flattened, 0.5–2 cm; blade obovate to elliptic, 1.5–4 cm, fleshy, base attenuate, margins entire or apically denticulate, eciliate, surfaces glabrous or sparsely hairy. |
Inflorescences | 10–25-flowered, congested, glomerate thyrses, 4–15 cm, pink- to purple-tipped stipitate-glandular (hairs uniseriate). |
5+-flowered, densely crowded in 1–3 glomerulate, often flat-topped thyrses, 3.5–15(–20) cm, sparsely purple-tipped stipitate-glandular. |
Flowers | sepals erect to ascending, ovate; petals absent, sometimes 1–5, white to greenish white, not spotted, linear to oblong, clawed, 1–2 mm, much shorter than sepals; filaments linear, flattened; pistils connate to 1/2 their lengths; ovary 1/2+ inferior. |
sepals ascending to spreading, ovate; petals white, not spotted, elliptic to linear, clawed, 1.8–3 mm, slightly longer than sepals; filaments linear, flattened; pistils connate to 1/2 their lengths; ovary inferior, appearing more superior in fruit. |
Capsules | reddish or purplish, folliclelike. |
purple, folliclelike. |
2n | = 38. |
= 20. |
Micranthes apetala |
Micranthes aprica |
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Phenology | Flowering early spring–summer. | Flowering summer. |
Habitat | Vernally moist meadows, wet depressions on mountain slopes | Rocky alpine and snowbed meadows |
Elevation | 600-2800 m (2000-9200 ft) | 1700-4500 m (5600-14800 ft) |
Distribution |
ID; MT; OR; WA
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CA; NV; OR
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Discussion | Specimens of Micranthes aprica from the Klamath region of California and Oregon are unusually robust, occur at unusually low elevations, and have usually pollen-sterile flowers (P. E. Elvander 1984). In the Steens Mountains of southwestern Oregon, specimens that are morphologically similar to M. rhomboidea from some Utah locations can be found. Although tentatively relegated to M. aprica, these populations need thorough study. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 8, p. 68. | FNA vol. 8, p. 69. |
Parent taxa | Saxifragaceae > Micranthes | Saxifragaceae > Micranthes |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Saxifraga apetala, Saxifraga integrifolia var. apetala | Saxifraga aprica |
Name authority | (Piper) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 135. 1905 , | (Greene) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 135. (1905) |
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