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

saxifrage étoilée, starry saxifrage

Habit Plants often mat-forming, long, thin-rhizomatous. Plants tufted or mat-forming, with ± branched caudices or stolonlike rhizomes.
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 ± absent;

blade obovate to elliptic, 1–5 cm, ± fleshy, base cuneate, margins 1–3-toothed in distal 1/2, ciliate, surfaces 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.

2–10-flowered, open, lax cymes, sometimes solitary flowers, (all or some flowers replaced with bulbils, bulbils sometimes absent), 5–20 cm, sparsely to moderately purple-tipped stipitate-glandular.

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 reflexed, narrowly elliptic to lanceolate;

petals white, each with 1–2 basal yellow spots, lanceolate, clawed, 3–8 mm (2 often slightly larger), longer than sepals;

filaments linear, flattened;

pistils connate 1/2+ their lengths;

ovary superior, (to 1/3 adnate to hypanthium).

Capsules

green or reddish purple, folliclelike.

green to purple, valvate.

2n

= 20, 38.

= 28.

Micranthes fragosa

Micranthes stellaris

Phenology Flowering spring–summer. Flowering summer.
Habitat Wet, mossy cliffs, unstable slopes, often near watercourses Mossy tundra near streams, rocky, gravelly seepage areas
Elevation 100-2600 m [300-8500 ft] 0-500 m [0-1600 ft]
Distribution
from FNA
ID; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
LB; NU; QC; Greenland; Europe
[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.)

Micranthes stellaris is amphi-Atlantic. In Nunavut, it is known only from Baffin Island.

(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. 57. 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. 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. 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 stellaris
Name authority (Suksdorf ex Small) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 137. (1905) (Linnaeus) Galasso: Atti Soc. Ital. Sci. Nat. Mus. Civico Storia Nat. Milano 146: 231. (2005)
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