Micranthes ferruginea |
Micranthes aprica |
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Alaska saxifrage, rusty hair saxifrage, rusty saxifrage |
Sierra saxifrage |
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Habit | Plants solitary or tufted, with bulbils on caudices, short-rhizomatous. | Plants solitary, in clumps, or sometimes mat-forming, with bulbils on caudices, or rhizomatous. |
Leaves | basal; petiole indistinct, flattened, to 2 cm; blade spatulate to oblanceolate, 1–8(–10) cm, ± fleshy, base cuneate, margins irregularly serrate (usually with fewer than 12 coarse teeth), ciliate, 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 | 20–30+-flowered, (flowers sometimes replaced ± completely by bulbils, or bulbils sometimes absent), open, lax thyrses, 10–40 cm, moderately to ± densely purple stipitate-glandular; (bracts reduced). |
5+-flowered, densely crowded in 1–3 glomerulate, often flat-topped thyrses, 3.5–15(–20) cm, sparsely purple-tipped stipitate-glandular. |
Flowers | ± bilaterally symmetric; sepals reflexed, ovate to oblong; petals white, 3 with 2 basal yellow spots, 2 without spots, elliptic to oblanceolate, clawed, 3–5 mm, longer than sepals; filaments linear, flattened; pistils connate 1/2+ their lengths; ovary superior, (to 1/3 adnate to hypanthium). |
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 | green or yellow, sometimes purple tinged, or partly purple, valvate. |
purple, folliclelike. |
2n | = 20. |
= 20. |
Micranthes ferruginea |
Micranthes aprica |
|
Phenology | Flowering summer–early autumn. | Flowering summer. |
Habitat | Wet ledges, seepage slopes, stream banks | Rocky alpine and snowbed meadows |
Elevation | 10-2700 m (0-8900 ft) | 1700-4500 m (5600-14800 ft) |
Distribution |
AK; CA; ID; MT; OR; WA; WY; AB; BC; NT
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CA; NV; OR
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Discussion | Plants with bulbils replacing flowers are more common in the southern part (southern Alberta and British Columbia southwards) of the range of Micranthes ferruginea and have been called Saxifraga ferruginea var. macounii. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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.) |
Source | FNA vol. 8, p. 58. | FNA vol. 8, p. 69. |
Parent taxa | Saxifragaceae > Micranthes | Saxifragaceae > Micranthes |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Saxifraga ferruginea, Saxifraga ferruginea var. macounii, Saxifraga ferruginea var. newcombei, Saxifraga ferruginea var. vreelandii, Saxifraga newcombei | Saxifraga aprica |
Name authority | (Graham) Brouillet & Gornall: J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 1: 1020. 2007 , | (Greene) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 135. (1905) |
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