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Alaska saxifrage, rusty hair saxifrage, rusty saxifrage

California saxifrage, Greene's saxifrage

Habit Plants solitary or tufted, with bulbils on caudices, short-rhizomatous. Plants solitary or in clumps, 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, 2–5 cm;

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

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

Capsules

green or yellow, sometimes purple tinged, or partly purple, valvate.

purplish, folliclelike.

2n

= 20.

Micranthes ferruginea

Micranthes californica

Phenology Flowering summer–early autumn. Flowering winter–early spring.
Habitat Wet ledges, seepage slopes, stream banks Shaded fields, rocky or unstable slopes, stream banks
Elevation 10-2700 m (0-8900 ft) 0-1500 m (0-4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; ID; MT; OR; WA; WY; AB; BC; NT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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.)

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 58. FNA vol. 8, p. 64.
Parent taxa Saxifragaceae > Micranthes Saxifragaceae > Micranthes
Sibling taxa
M. apetala, M. aprica, M. bryophora, M. californica, M. calycina, M. careyana, M. caroliniana, M. eriophora, 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. 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
Synonyms Saxifraga ferruginea, Saxifraga ferruginea var. macounii, Saxifraga ferruginea var. newcombei, Saxifraga ferruginea var. vreelandii, Saxifraga newcombei Saxifraga californica, M. parvifolia, Saxifraga fallax, Saxifraga hallii, Saxifraga parvifolia, Saxifraga virginiensis var. californica
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: 140. (1905)
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