Micranthes apetala |
Micranthes rhomboidea |
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tiny swamp saxifrage, western swamp saxifrage |
diamond-leaf saxifrage |
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Habit | Plants solitary or in clusters, with bulbils on caudices, or short-rhizomatous. | Plants solitary or tufted, with bulbils on caudices. |
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, 1–3 cm; blade broadly ovate to triangular, 1–3 cm, fleshy, base attenuate, margins coarsely serrate, ciliate, surfaces sparsely to moderately tangled, reddish brown-hairy abaxially, glabrous adaxially. |
Inflorescences | 10–25-flowered, congested, glomerate thyrses, 4–15 cm, pink- to purple-tipped stipitate-glandular (hairs uniseriate). |
(5–)10–40-flowered, congested, ± glomerate or capitate thyrses, 4–20 cm, usually densely yellow- to cream-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, ovate; petals white, not spotted, oblong to elliptic, clawed, 2–4 mm, 1.5+ times as long as 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, 38, 40, 56. |
Micranthes apetala |
Micranthes rhomboidea |
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Phenology | Flowering early spring–summer. | Flowering late spring–summer. |
Habitat | Vernally moist meadows, wet depressions on mountain slopes | Subalpine and alpine meadows |
Elevation | 600-2800 m (2000-9200 ft) | 1500-4600 m (4900-15100 ft) |
Distribution |
ID; MT; OR; WA
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AZ; CO; ID; MT; NM; UT; WY
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Discussion | Micranthes rhomboidea is somewhat polymorphic; variants have been given taxonomic designations with little consistency. The chromosome number variation needs thorough study, as in other species of Micranthes, because no obvious correlations with morphology or geographic distribution are known (B. L. Bethers 1973). Reports from Canada (Alberta, Saskatchewan) were rejected as misidentifications of M. occidentalis. (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 rhomboidea, Saxifraga austrina, Saxifraga rhomboidea var. austrina, Saxifraga rhomboidea var. franciscana |
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: 136. 1905 , |
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