Micranthes aprica |
Micranthes nelsoniana |
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Sierra saxifrage |
dotted saxifrage, heartleaf saxifrage, Nelson's saxifrage, saxifrage |
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Habit | Plants solitary, in clumps, or sometimes mat-forming, with bulbils on caudices, or rhizomatous. | Plants solitary or tufted, with bulbils on branched caudices, rhizomatous. | ||||||||||||||||
Leaves | 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. |
basal; petiole rounded, 3–30 cm; blade reniform to round, 2–9 cm, thin or slightly fleshy, sometimes thick and fleshy, base cordate, margins deeply crenate, eciliate or sparsely short glandular-ciliate, surfaces glabrous or ± hairy. |
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Inflorescences | 5+-flowered, densely crowded in 1–3 glomerulate, often flat-topped thyrses, 3.5–15(–20) cm, sparsely purple-tipped stipitate-glandular. |
10+-flowered, ± open, lax to congested, conic, sometimes also glomerate thyrses, 10–35 cm, tangled-hairy (pilose-arachnoid) at least distally, sometimes also purple- or brown-tipped stipitate-glandular. |
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Flowers | 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. |
sepals reflexed, ± ovate; petals white to pinkish, rarely orange-spotted, ovate to oblong, narrowly to broadly clawed, 2.5–4.5 mm, longer than sepals; filaments distinctly club-shaped; pistils connate 1/2–3/4 their lengths; ovary superior (to 1/3 adnate to hypanthium). |
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Capsules | purple, folliclelike. |
green to yellow and purplish tinged to dark purple, valvate. |
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2n | = 20. |
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Micranthes aprica |
Micranthes nelsoniana |
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Phenology | Flowering summer. | |||||||||||||||||
Habitat | Rocky alpine and snowbed meadows | |||||||||||||||||
Elevation | 1700-4500 m (5600-14800 ft) | |||||||||||||||||
Distribution |
CA; NV; OR
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AK; OR; WA; AB; BC; NT; NU; YT; Europe (ne Russia); Asia
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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.) |
Varieties 6 (5 in the flora). Although sometimes reported for North America, Saxifraga nelsoniana var. aestivalis (Fischer & C. A. Meyer) H. Ohba (S. aestivalis Fischer & C. A. Meyer) is found only in Eurasia. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Key |
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Source | FNA vol. 8, p. 69. | FNA vol. 8, p. 54. | ||||||||||||||||
Parent taxa | Saxifragaceae > Micranthes | Saxifragaceae > Micranthes | ||||||||||||||||
Sibling taxa | ||||||||||||||||||
Subordinate taxa | ||||||||||||||||||
Synonyms | Saxifraga aprica | Saxifraga nelsoniana, Saxifraga punctata subsp. nelsoniana, Saxifraga punctata var. nelsoniana | ||||||||||||||||
Name authority | (Greene) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 135. (1905) | (D. Don) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 147. 1905 , | ||||||||||||||||
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