Micranthes hitchcockiana |
Micranthes micranthidifolia |
|
---|---|---|
Hitchcock's saxifrage, Saddle Mountain saxifrage |
branch-lettuce, lettuceleaf saxifrage |
|
Habit | Plants solitary or in clumps, short-rhizomatous. | Plants solitary or in groups, 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 ± indistinct, (broad), flattened, 3–15 cm; blade lanceolate to oblanceolate, 4–35 cm, thin, base attenuate, margins irregularly serrate to dentate, ciliate, surfaces sparsely hairy. |
Inflorescences | 70+-flowered, open, lax, flat-topped thyrses, 15–35 cm, tangled, yellow-tipped stipitate-glandular. |
(30–)50+–flowered, very open, lax thyrses, 30–75 cm, pink- to purplish-tipped stipitate-glandular; (bracts gradually smaller distally). |
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 strongly reflexed, oblong; petals white, with 2 basal yellow spots that sometimes appear as 1 (sometimes faded in dried material), ± elliptic to spatulate, clawed, 2–3 mm, longer than sepals; filaments strongly club-shaped; pistils distinct almost to base; ovary superior, (to 1/3 adnate to hypanthium). |
Capsules | greenish to reddish purple, folliclelike. |
green, sometimes purplish, folliclelike. |
2n | = 76. |
= 22. |
Micranthes hitchcockiana |
Micranthes micranthidifolia |
|
Phenology | Flowering late spring–summer. | Flowering spring. |
Habitat | Wet rocks and ledges on mountain-top balds | Rocky seepage slopes, stream banks |
Elevation | 600-1100 m (2000-3600 ft) | 400-2100 m (1300-6900 ft) |
Distribution |
OR
|
GA; KY; MD; NC; PA; SC; 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.) |
Micranthes micranthidifolia was formerly gathered by local people in the southern Appalachians as a spring “green” (hence the common name, “branch” being dialect for a small stream); it is still occasionally seen in local grocery stores. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 8, p. 70. | FNA vol. 8, p. 60. |
Parent taxa | Saxifragaceae > Micranthes | Saxifragaceae > Micranthes |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Saxifraga hitchcockiana | Robertsonia micranthidifolia, Aulaxis micranthidifolia, Saxifraga micranthidifolia |
Name authority | (Elvander) Brouillet & Gornall: Novon 18: 138. 2008 , | (Haworth) Small: Fl. S.E. U.S., 501, 1331. 1903 , |
Web links |
| |