Micranthes hitchcockiana
Micranthes calycina
Micranthes tenuis
Hitchcock's saxifrage, Saddle Mountain saxifrage
slender saxifrage
basal;
petiole often indistinct, flattened, 5–50 mm;
blade elliptic to obovate, 4–12 cm, slightly fleshy, base cuneate, margins serrate to dentate, densely ciliate, surfaces densely tangled-hairy.
basal;
petiole ± distinct, flattened, (0.5–)1–3.5 cm;
blade rhombic or fan-shaped, sometimes nearly round, (1–)1.5–3.5 cm, ± fleshy, base attenuate to ± cuneate, margins 7–11-toothed in distal 1/2–2/3 (teeth 1–3 mm), sparsely ciliate, surfaces glabrous.
basal;
petiole broad, flattened, 0.2–1 cm;
blade ± obovate to ± obtrullate, 0.5–1.5 cm, ± coriaceous, base ± attenuate to ± cuneate, margins serrate to dentate on distal 1/3–2/3, sometimes ciliate, surfaces glabrous or glabrate abaxially (rarely sparsely reddish brown-hairy).
70+-flowered, open, lax, flat-topped thyrses, 15–35 cm, tangled, yellow-tipped stipitate-glandular.
3–15-flowered, usually racemiform, sometimes paniculiform thyrses, 3–15 cm, axis glabrous or sparsely long-hairy, branches ± densely (rarely sparsely) long tangled-hairy; (bracts reduced).
usually 2–10-flowered, ± capitate cymes, sometimes solitary flowers, (1–)2–7(–11) cm, hairy or glabrous proximally, glabrate or ± purple-tipped stipitate-glandular distally. (Pedicels proximal ± elongate.) Flowers: sepals erect, ovate to deltate;
petals white with purple margins, usually pink or purple tinged, not spotted, obovate to oblong, clawed, 2–3 mm, usually slightly longer than sepals;
filaments linear, flattened;
pistils connate to 1/2 their lengths;
ovary 1/2 inferior, appearing more superior in fruit.
sepals reflexed, elliptic to ovate;
petals white, not spotted, elliptic, clawed, 2–5 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, lanceolate to ovate;
petals white to cream, sometimes purplish, not spotted, linear to narrowly elliptic, not clawed, 2–4 mm, longer than sepals;
filaments linear, flattened;
pistils connate 1/2+ their lengths, (conic);
ovary ± 1/2 inferior.
greenish to reddish purple, folliclelike.
purple-black, valvate.
reddish to purplish, folliclelike.
= 76.
= 24.
= 20.
Micranthes hitchcockiana
Micranthes calycina
Micranthes tenuis
Of conservation concern.
Micranthes hitchcockiana may have originated from hybridization between M. rufidula and M. oregana (P. E. Elvander 1984; W. E. Perkins 1978).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Micranthes calycina is found mostly in western Alaska, in the north from the Seward Peninsula to the Brooks Range west of Atigun Pass, and in the south from Unimak Island and the Ahklum Mountains to the Saint Elias Mountains. It is also present on the main Bering Sea islands, but apparently not on the Aleutians west of Unimak. Plants of this species sometimes have been misidentified as M. davurica (Willdenow) Small, a species restricted to eastern Siberia.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Micranthes tenuis is morphologically distinguished from M. nivalis only with great difficulty. D. A. Webb and R. J. Gornall (1989) claimed that chromosome number is one of the chief reasons for continuing to recognize the species and, indeed, their enumeration of morphologic differences is not entirely convincing. Occasionally, both species appear to occur in the same populations. The generally smaller size, tendency to glabrousness, fewer number of flowers, and petal color variations reasonably distinguish M. tenuis. Depauperate specimens of M. nivalis are particularly difficult to separate from M. tenuis except for their very consistent hairiness and white petals. Due to the morphologic confusion, exact distributions are difficult to assess and chromosome number reports may be doubtful (D. L. Krause and K. I. Beamish 1973). A thorough systematic study is needed.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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