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Micranthes hitchcockiana

Hitchcock's saxifrage, Saddle Mountain saxifrage

Idaho saxifrage, Marshall's saxifrage

Columbia saxifrage, meadow saxifrage, peak saxifrage, swamp saxifrage

Habit Plants solitary or in clumps, short-rhizomatous. Plants in groups or sometimes mat-forming, rhizomatous. Plants solitary or in clumps, 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, 3–15 cm;

blade ovate, 1–5 cm, ± fleshy, base attenuate, margins shallowly crenate-serrate (teeth ca. 2 mm), eciliate, surfaces sparsely tangled, reddish brown-hairy abaxially, glabrate adaxially.

basal;

petiole flattened, 1.5–5.5 cm;

blade ± ovate to elliptic, 3–6(–7.5) cm, fleshy, base attenuate, margins entire or minutely denticulate, ciliate, surfaces glabrate to sparsely hairy.

Inflorescences

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

15–50+-flowered, open, lax thyrses, 20–40 cm, purple-tipped stipitate-glandular.

30+-flowered, lax, cylindric thyrses with 3–10, ± compact cymules, 10–30 cm, ± densely pink- to 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, lanceolate to oblong;

petals white, with 2 basal yellow spots (often faded when dried), ovate, clawed, 1.5–4.5 mm, longer than sepals;

filaments strongly club-shaped, sometimes petaloid (short-clawed, equaling petals);

pistils distinct almost to base;

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

sepals strongly reflexed, broadly ovate to deltate;

petals white to greenish white, not spotted, usually elliptic to obovate, clawed, 1–1.9 mm, equaling or shorter than sepals;

filaments linear, flattened;

pistils connate to 1/2 their lengths;

ovary 1/2+ inferior.

Capsules

greenish to reddish purple, folliclelike.

greenish to reddish purple, folliclelike.

green or reddish purple, folliclelike.

2n

= 76.

= 20.

= 38.

Micranthes hitchcockiana

Micranthes marshallii

Micranthes nidifica

Phenology Flowering late spring–summer. Flowering spring. Flowering spring–summer.
Habitat Wet rocks and ledges on mountain-top balds Deeply shaded watercourses, stream banks, seeps Open meadows, shrub-lands, gravelly slopes, edges of and open pine forests
Elevation 600-1100 m (2000-3600 ft) 100-1000 m (300-3300 ft) 100-2600 m (300-8500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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.)

Micranthes nidifica is polymorphic and merges to some extent with M. fragosa in limited areas of southern Washington and northern Oregon.

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

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 70. FNA vol. 8, p. 63. FNA vol. 8, p. 68.
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. eriophora, M. ferruginea, M. foliolosa, M. fragosa, M. gaspensis, M. gormanii, M. hieraciifolia, M. hitchcockiana, M. howellii, M. idahoensis, M. integrifolia, M. lyallii, 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. 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 marshallii Saxifraga nidifica, M. plantaginea, Saxifraga columbiana, Saxifraga integrifolia var. columbiana, Saxifraga integrifolia var. leptopetala, Saxifraga montana, Saxifraga plantaginea
Name authority (Elvander) Brouillet & Gornall: Novon 18: 138. 2008 , (Greene) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 145. 1905 , (Greene) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 134. (1905)
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