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

brittle-leaf saxifrage, Clayton's saxifrage, peak saxifrage

Gorman's saxifrage

Habit Plants often mat-forming, long, thin-rhizomatous. Plants in groups or, sometimes, almost mat-forming, rhizomatous.
Leaves

basal;

petiole flattened, 4–10 cm;

blade broadly ovate to deltate, 4–8(–10) cm, fleshy, base attenuate, margins entire or minutely denticulate, ciliate, surfaces glabrate to sparsely hairy.

basal;

petiole flattened, 5–7.5 cm;

blade ovate to elliptic, 3–4 cm, fleshy, base attenuate, margins shallowly crenate-serrate, sparsely ciliate, surfaces tangled, reddish brown-hairy.

Inflorescences

30+-flowered, (flowers sometimes almost secund), open, lax, conic thyrses with ± open cymules on lateral branches, 20–50 cm, purple-tipped stipitate-glandular.

(10–)30+-flowered, open, lax, strongly divaricately branched, conic thyrses, 8–30 cm, purple-tipped stipitate-glandular; (bracts glabrous, proximal marginally ciliate).

Flowers

sepals spreading to slightly reflexed, ovate to deltate;

petals white, not spotted, obovate, clawed, 2–3 mm, longer than sepals;

filaments linear, flattened;

pistils connate to 1/2 their lengths;

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

sepals ascending, ovate to oblong, (margins eciliate, surfaces glabrous);

petals white, not spotted, obovate to ± round, clawed, ca. 2 mm, ca. 1.5 times as long as sepals;

filaments linear, flattened;

pistils distinct almost to base;

ovary nearly 1/3 inferior, (to 1/3 adnate to hypanthium).

Capsules

green or reddish purple, folliclelike.

greenish to reddish purple, folliclelike.

2n

= 20, 38.

= 20, 38, 40.

Micranthes fragosa

Micranthes gormanii

Phenology Flowering spring–summer. Flowering spring.
Habitat Wet, mossy cliffs, unstable slopes, often near watercourses Wet, rocky ledges and slopes
Elevation 100-2600 m [300-8500 ft] 0-1000 m [0-3300 ft]
Distribution
from FNA
ID; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Micranthes fragosa is restored to specific status here because a review of its differences with M. nidifica shows it to be more distinctive than previously thought, and for consistency in the application of criteria for species recognition within the rest of the genus. In the southernmost part of its range, M. fragosa converges in appearance with M. californica.

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

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 68. Treatment authors: Luc Brouillet, Patrick E. Elvander†. FNA vol. 8, p. 62. Treatment authors: Luc Brouillet, Patrick E. Elvander†.
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. ferruginea, M. foliolosa, 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. 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 fragosa, Saxifraga claytoniifolia, Saxifraga fragosa subsp. claytoniifolia, Saxifraga integrifolia var. claytoniifolia, Saxifraga nidifica var. claytoniifolia Saxifraga gormanii, Saxifraga occidentalis var. dentata
Name authority (Suksdorf ex Small) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 137. (1905) (Suksdorf) Brouillet & Gornall: J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 1: 1020. 2007 ,
Web links