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Micranthes hitchcockiana

Hitchcock's saxifrage, Saddle Mountain saxifrage

redfuzz saxifrage

leafy stem saxifrage, naked-bulbil small-flower-saxifrage, saxifrage à bulbilles

Habit Plants solitary or in clumps, short-rhizomatous. Plants solitary or in groups, with bulbils on caudices. 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, 0.5–2.5 cm;

blade ovate to elliptic, 1–2 cm, ± fleshy, base attenuate, margins sharply serrate, sparsely to densely ciliate (some glandular-tipped), surfaces densely tangled, reddish brown-hairy abaxially, glabrous adaxially.

basal;

petiole ± absent;

blade oblanceolate, 6–15(–30) cm, ± fleshy, base cuneate, margins subentire, sometimes 1–3-toothed distally, eciliate or sparsely ciliate, surfaces glabrate.

Inflorescences

70+-flowered, open, lax, flat-topped thyrses, 15–35 cm, tangled, yellow-tipped stipitate-glandular.

10+-flowered, (flowers often secund), very open, lax, often flat-topped thyrses with distant lateral branches, 6–25 cm, pink- to purplish-tipped stipitate-glandular.

2(–5+)-flowered, (proximal flowers replaced by bulbils), narrow, branched, sometimes ± open, cylindric thyrses, sometimes solitary flowers, 5–15 cm, glabrous or sparsely purple-tipped stipitate-glandular. (Pedicels erect to ascending.) Flowers: sepals reflexed, lanceolate;

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

filaments linear, flattened;

pistils connate 1/2+ their lengths;

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

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 erect, triangular;

petals white, sometimes purplish-tipped, not spotted, obovate to elliptic, not clawed or barely clawed, 4–7 mm, ca. 2 times as long as sepals;

filaments linear, flattened;

pistils distinct almost to base;

ovary 1/3–1/2 inferior.

Capsules

greenish to reddish purple, folliclelike.

purplish, valvate.

green to purplish, valvate.

2n

= 76.

= 56.

Micranthes hitchcockiana

Micranthes eriophora

Micranthes foliolosa

Phenology Flowering late spring–summer. Flowering late winter–early summer. Flowering late summer.
Habitat Wet rocks and ledges on mountain-top balds Rocky slopes and ledges Mossy tundra near streams and flushes, wet, rocky slopes, snowbeds
Elevation 600-1100 m (2000-3600 ft) 1900-3000 m (6200-9800 ft) 0-1800 m (0-5900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Baja California, Chihuahua)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; CO; ME; NL; NT; NU; QC; YT; Greenland; n Europe; n Asia
[BONAP county map]
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.)

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 70. FNA vol. 8, p. 64. FNA vol. 8, p. 57.
Parent taxa Saxifragaceae > Micranthes 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. fragosa, M. gaspensis, M. gormanii, M. hieraciifolia, 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. 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. 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. 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. tempestiva, M. tenuis, M. texana, M. tischii, M. tolmiei, M. unalaschcensis, M. virginiensis
Synonyms Saxifraga hitchcockiana Saxifraga eriophora Saxifraga foliolosa, Saxifraga foliolosa var. multiflora, Saxifraga stellaris subsp. comosa, Saxifraga stellaris var. comosa
Name authority (Elvander) Brouillet & Gornall: Novon 18: 138. 2008 , (S. Watson) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 142. (1905) (R. Brown) Gornall: J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 1: 1020. 2007 ,
Web links 
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