The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

California saxifrage, Greene's saxifrage

Habit Plants solitary or in clumps, with bulbils on caudices, or rhizomatous. Plants solitary or tufted, with bulbils on caudices or rhizomatous.
Leaves

basal;

petiole flattened, 2–5 cm;

blade ovate, 2–7 cm, fleshy, base attenuate, margins serrate, rarely subentire, ciliate, surfaces hairy.

basal;

petiole flattened, 1–2 cm;

blade broadly obovate to round, 1–3.5 cm, ± fleshy, base cuneate, margins distally toothed, sparsely ciliate, surfaces glabrous.

Inflorescences

20+-flowered, (flowers often secund), open, lax thyrses with distant lateral branches, 15–30(–40) cm, purple-tipped stipitate-glandular.

2–10-flowered, open thyrses, racemiform distally, sometimes solitary flowers, 3–15 cm, tangled-hairy.

Flowers

sepals reflexed, sometimes spreading, triangular to ovate;

petals white, not spotted, elliptic to oblong, clawed, 2.5–4.5 mm, longer than sepals;

filaments linear, flattened;

pistils connate to 1/2 their lengths;

ovary 1/2+ inferior, appearing superior in fruit.

sepals reflexed, ovate;

petals white to cream or pinkish, not spotted, elliptic to oblong, ± clawed, 3.5–5 mm, longer than sepals;

filaments linear, flattened;

pistils connate 1/2+ their lengths;

ovary at least 1/2 inferior.

Capsules

purplish, folliclelike.

dark purple, valvate.

Micranthes californica

Micranthes unalaschcensis

Phenology Flowering winter–early spring. Flowering summer.
Habitat Shaded fields, rocky or unstable slopes, stream banks Tundra, flushes, stream banks, slopes
Elevation 0-1500 m (0-4900 ft) 0-600 m (0-2000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; e Asia (Russian Far East)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The ovaries and capsules of Micranthes unalaschensis are ovoid, thicker and plumper than those of M. calycina and M. razshivinii, which are conic (E. Hultén 1968).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 64. FNA vol. 8, p. 60.
Parent taxa Saxifragaceae > Micranthes Saxifragaceae > Micranthes
Sibling taxa
M. apetala, M. aprica, M. bryophora, M. calycina, M. careyana, M. caroliniana, M. eriophora, M. ferruginea, M. foliolosa, M. fragosa, M. gaspensis, M. gormanii, M. hieraciifolia, M. hitchcockiana, M. howellii, M. idahoensis, M. integrifolia, M. lyallii, M. marshallii, M. micranthidifolia, M. nelsoniana, M. nidifica, M. nivalis, M. nudicaulis, M. occidentalis, M. odontoloma, M. oregana, M. palmeri, M. pensylvanica, M. petiolaris, M. razshivinii, M. reflexa, M. rhomboidea, M. rufidula, M. spicata, M. stellaris, M. subapetala, M. tempestiva, M. tenuis, M. texana, M. tischii, M. tolmiei, M. unalaschcensis, M. virginiensis
M. apetala, M. aprica, M. bryophora, M. californica, M. calycina, M. careyana, M. caroliniana, M. eriophora, M. ferruginea, M. foliolosa, M. fragosa, M. gaspensis, M. gormanii, M. hieraciifolia, M. hitchcockiana, M. howellii, M. idahoensis, M. integrifolia, M. lyallii, M. marshallii, M. micranthidifolia, M. nelsoniana, M. nidifica, M. nivalis, M. nudicaulis, M. occidentalis, M. odontoloma, M. oregana, M. palmeri, M. pensylvanica, M. petiolaris, M. razshivinii, M. reflexa, M. rhomboidea, M. rufidula, M. spicata, M. stellaris, M. subapetala, M. tempestiva, M. tenuis, M. texana, M. tischii, M. tolmiei, M. virginiensis
Synonyms Saxifraga californica, M. parvifolia, Saxifraga fallax, Saxifraga hallii, Saxifraga parvifolia, Saxifraga virginiensis var. californica Saxifraga unalaschensis, Saxifraga calycina subsp. unalaschensis, Saxifraga davurica var. unalaschensis
Name authority (Greene) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 140. (1905) (Sternberg) Gornall & H. Ohba: J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 1: 1022. (2007)
Web links