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

storm saxifrage

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 indistinct (leaves appearing sessile), flattened, 2–8+ mm;

blade oblanceolate to obovate, 4–10(–30) mm, fleshy, base cuneate to attenuate, margins entire or minutely denticulate, eciliate, (apex acute to obtuse or rounded), surfaces ± glabrous; (venation pinnate or palmate).

Inflorescences

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

5–15(–20)-flowered, congested thyrses, 3–10(–15) cm, glabrous or sparsely 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 spreading, ovate;

petals white, not spotted, linear to obovate, clawed, to 1.5 mm, shorter than sepals;

filaments linear, flattened;

pistils connate to 1/2 their lengths;

ovary inferior.

Capsules

green or reddish purple, folliclelike.

reddish purple, valvate.

2n

= 20, 38.

= 10.

Micranthes fragosa

Micranthes tempestiva

Phenology Flowering spring–summer. Flowering summer.
Habitat Wet, mossy cliffs, unstable slopes, often near watercourses Rocky ledges, slopes, or snow-bed meadows
Elevation 100-2600 m [300-8500 ft] 2400-3200 m [7900-10500 ft]
Distribution
map from FNA
ID; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
map from FNA
MT
[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.)

Of conservation concern.

Micranthes tempestiva is known only from the Bitterroot Mountains and Anaconda Range.

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

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. stellaris, M. subapetala, 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 tempestiva
Name authority (Suksdorf ex Small) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 137. (1905) (Elvander & Denton) Brouillet & Gornall: J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 1: 1021. 2007 ,
Source FNA vol. 8, p. 68. Treatment authors: Luc Brouillet, Patrick E. Elvander†. FNA vol. 8, p. 69. Treatment authors: Luc Brouillet, Patrick E. Elvander†.
Web links