Micranthes idahoensis |
Micranthes careyana |
|
---|---|---|
Idaho saxifrage |
Carey's saxifrage |
|
Habit | Plants solitary or tufted, with bulbils on caudices. | Plants often mat-forming, with extensive rhizomes. |
Leaves | basal; petiole flattened, 1–5 cm; blade ovate to elliptic, 1–4 cm, ± fleshy, base attenuate, margins shallowly serrate to dentate (teeth usually to 1 mm), sparsely ciliate, surfaces tangled, reddish brown-hairy abaxially, glabrate adaxially. |
basal; petiole flattened, 1–7 cm; blade rounded or broadly ovate to oblong, 1–7 cm, thin, base truncate, margins coarsely serrate to dentate, sparsely ciliate, surfaces sparsely to ± densely tangled, reddish brown-hairy. |
Inflorescences | 15+-flowered, open thyrses, (flowers ± crowded at tips, becoming more open in fruit), 10–40 cm, purple-tipped stipitate-glandular. |
40+-flowered, lax, open thyrses, 10–40(–50) cm, purple-tipped stipitate-glandular. |
Flowers | sepals reflexed, ovate to oblong; petals white, with 2 basal yellow spots (often faded when dried), elliptic to ovate, clawed to nearly not clawed, 1–3.5 mm, ± equaling sepals; filaments club-shaped, not petaloid, (equaling petals); pistils distinct almost to base; ovary superior, (to 1/3 adnate to hypanthium). |
sepals spreading, broadly ovate; petals white, sometimes some with 2 faint, basal yellow spots (sometimes fading upon drying), narrowly ovate to elliptic, clawed, 2–4(–5) mm, 2+ times as long as sepals; filaments linear, flattened; pistils distinct almost to base; ovary superior, (to 1/3 adnate to hypanthium). |
Capsules | green to reddish purple, folliclelike. |
green, ± purple tinged, folliclelike. |
2n | = 20. |
|
Micranthes idahoensis |
Micranthes careyana |
|
Phenology | Flowering spring–early summer. | Flowering spring–early summer. |
Habitat | Open ledges and slopes | Moist soil at bases of vertical or overhanging rock outcrops, seeps |
Elevation | 500-2500 m (1600-8200 ft) | 500-1600 m (1600-5200 ft) |
Distribution |
ID; MT; OR; WA
|
AL; GA; KY; NC; TN; VA; WV |
Discussion | Micranthes idahoensis appears to hybridize with M. occidentalis where their ranges overlap. Intermediates are abundant in some populations along the Idaho-Montana border and in Montana. This phenomenon may explain the range of filament shapes found in M. occidentalis, from flattened to sightly club-shaped. The issue of the status of M. idahoensis with respect to M. marshallii (D. L. Krause and K. I. Beamish 1972) is best deferred until a thorough study of the whole complex over its entire range is done. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Micranthes careyana is very similar to M. caroliniana; both are in need of study. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 8, p. 64. | FNA vol. 8, p. 61. |
Parent taxa | Saxifragaceae > Micranthes | Saxifragaceae > Micranthes |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Saxifraga idahoensis, Saxifraga marshallii subsp. idahoensis, Saxifraga marshallii var. idahoensis, Saxifraga occidentalis var. idahoensis | Saxifraga careyana, Saxifraga tennesseensis |
Name authority | (Piper) Brouillet & Gornall: J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 1: 1020. 2007 , | (A. Gray) Small: Fl. S.E. U.S., 501. 1903 , |
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