Micranthes fragosa |
Micranthes howellii |
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brittle-leaf saxifrage, Clayton's saxifrage, peak saxifrage |
Howell's saxifrage |
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Habit | Plants often mat-forming, long, thin-rhizomatous. | Plants solitary or in groups, with bulbils on caudices. |
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, 1–4 cm; blade oblong to narrowly ovate, 1–2(–3) cm, ± fleshy, base attenuate, margins sharply serrate, eciliate, surfaces sparsely tangled, reddish brown-hairy abaxially, glabrous adaxially. |
Inflorescences | 30+-flowered, (flowers sometimes almost secund), open, lax, conic thyrses with ± open cymules on lateral branches, 20–50 cm, purple-tipped stipitate-glandular. |
5–10(–20)-flowered, very open, lax, ± flat-topped cymes or thyrses, 5–10(–20) cm, glabrate to sparsely purple-tipped stipitate-glandular; (bracts glabrous). |
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 strongly reflexed, elliptic, (surfaces glabrous); petals white, not spotted, obovate to elliptic, clawed, 2.5–4.5 mm, longer than sepals; filaments linear, flattened; pistils distinct almost to base; ovary ± superior. |
Capsules | green or reddish purple, folliclelike. |
purple, valvate. |
2n | = 20, 38. |
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Micranthes fragosa |
Micranthes howellii |
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Phenology | Flowering spring–summer. | Flowering early spring–early summer. |
Habitat | Wet, mossy cliffs, unstable slopes, often near watercourses | Wet, rocky ledges and crevices |
Elevation | 100-2600 m [300-8500 ft] | 0-900 m [0-3000 ft] |
Distribution |
ID; OR; WA
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CA; OR
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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.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 8, p. 68. | FNA vol. 8, p. 63. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Saxifraga fragosa, Saxifraga claytoniifolia, Saxifraga fragosa subsp. claytoniifolia, Saxifraga integrifolia var. claytoniifolia, Saxifraga nidifica var. claytoniifolia | Saxifraga howellii |
Name authority | (Suksdorf ex Small) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 137. (1905) | (Greene) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 140. (1905) |
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