Micranthes bryophora |
Micranthes tenuis |
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bud saxifrage |
slender saxifrage |
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Habit | Plants solitary or tufted, with bulbils on caudices. | Plants tufted, with bulbils on caudices. |
Leaves | ± basal; petiole absent; blade linear to narrowly elliptic, 0.5–4 cm, fleshy, base cuneate, margins subentire, ciliate, surfaces hirsute. |
basal; petiole broad, flattened, 0.2–1 cm; blade ± obovate to ± obtrullate, 0.5–1.5 cm, ± coriaceous, base ± attenuate to ± cuneate, margins serrate to dentate on distal 1/3–2/3, sometimes ciliate, surfaces glabrous or glabrate abaxially (rarely sparsely reddish brown-hairy). |
Inflorescences | usually 2–3+-flowered, open, lax thyrses, sometimes solitary flowers, (flowers terminal, proximal usually replaced by bulbils, sometimes bulbils absent), 2–25 cm, stipitate-glandular. (Pedicels reflexed.) Flowers: sepals reflexed, elliptic; petals white, each with 2 basal yellow spots, triangular to broadly ovate, clawed, 3–5 mm, longer than sepals; filaments linear, flattened; pistils connate 1/2+ their lengths; ovary superior, (to 1/3 adnate to hypanthium). |
usually 2–10-flowered, ± capitate cymes, sometimes solitary flowers, (1–)2–7(–11) cm, hairy or glabrous proximally, glabrate or ± purple-tipped stipitate-glandular distally. (Pedicels proximal ± elongate.) Flowers: sepals erect, ovate to deltate; petals white with purple margins, usually pink or purple tinged, not spotted, obovate to oblong, clawed, 2–3 mm, usually slightly longer than sepals; filaments linear, flattened; pistils connate to 1/2 their lengths; ovary 1/2 inferior, appearing more superior in fruit. |
Capsules | green to yellow, purple tinged, valvate. |
reddish to purplish, folliclelike. |
2n | = 20. |
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Micranthes bryophora |
Micranthes tenuis |
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Phenology | Flowering summer. | Flowering summer. |
Habitat | Wet meadows, rocky ledges | Open, mossy tundra, rocky ridges, shady ledges |
Elevation | 1600-4500 m (5200-14800 ft) | 0-1500 m (0-4900 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; ID
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AK; BC; LB; NT; NU; QC; YT; Greenland; Europe; Asia (Siberia) |
Discussion | Specimens of Micranthes bryophora from the disjunct populations in Idaho have been called Saxifraga bryophora var. tobiasiae; they appear to overlap in morphology with the California plants and are not distinguished here. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Micranthes tenuis is morphologically distinguished from M. nivalis only with great difficulty. D. A. Webb and R. J. Gornall (1989) claimed that chromosome number is one of the chief reasons for continuing to recognize the species and, indeed, their enumeration of morphologic differences is not entirely convincing. Occasionally, both species appear to occur in the same populations. The generally smaller size, tendency to glabrousness, fewer number of flowers, and petal color variations reasonably distinguish M. tenuis. Depauperate specimens of M. nivalis are particularly difficult to separate from M. tenuis except for their very consistent hairiness and white petals. Due to the morphologic confusion, exact distributions are difficult to assess and chromosome number reports may be doubtful (D. L. Krause and K. I. Beamish 1973). A thorough systematic study is needed. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 8, p. 58. | FNA vol. 8, p. 65. |
Parent taxa | Saxifragaceae > Micranthes | Saxifragaceae > Micranthes |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Saxifraga bryophora, Saxifraga bryophora var. tobiasiae | Saxifraga nivalis var. tenuis, Saxifraga tenuis |
Name authority | (A. Gray) Brouillet & Gornall: J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 1: 1020. (2007) | (Wahlenberg) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 136. (1905) |
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