Micranthes hitchcockiana |
Micranthes caroliniana |
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Hitchcock's saxifrage, Saddle Mountain saxifrage |
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Habit | Plants solitary or in clumps, short-rhizomatous. | Plants solitary or tufted, with bulbils on caudices. |
Leaves | 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 flattened, 1–10 cm; blade broadly ovate to elliptic, 2–14 cm, thin to slightly fleshy, base truncate, margins deeply dentate (teeth 2+ mm), sparsely glandular-ciliate, surfaces densely white-hairy. |
Inflorescences | 70+-flowered, open, lax, flat-topped thyrses, 15–35 cm, tangled, yellow-tipped stipitate-glandular. |
15+-flowered, open, lax thyrses, 10–50 cm, purple-tipped stipitate-glandular. |
Flowers | 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, oblong; petals white, with 2 basal yellow spots (distinct even in dried material), ovate to elliptic, short-clawed, 2–4 mm, much longer than sepals; filaments elongate, (longer than petals), club-shaped; pistils distinct almost to base; ovary superior. |
Capsules | greenish to reddish purple, folliclelike. |
greenish to yellow, folliclelike. |
2n | = 76. |
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Micranthes hitchcockiana |
Micranthes caroliniana |
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Phenology | Flowering late spring–summer. | Flowering spring. |
Habitat | Wet rocks and ledges on mountain-top balds | Moist soil at bases of vertical or overhanging rock outcrops, seeps |
Elevation | 600-1100 m (2000-3600 ft) | 500-1200 m (1600-3900 ft) |
Distribution |
OR
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NC; TN; VA; WV |
Discussion | 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.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 8, p. 70. | FNA vol. 8, p. 61. |
Parent taxa | Saxifragaceae > Micranthes | Saxifragaceae > Micranthes |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Saxifraga hitchcockiana | Saxifraga caroliniana |
Name authority | (Elvander) Brouillet & Gornall: Novon 18: 138. 2008 , | (A. Gray) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 146. (1905) |
Web links |
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