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Columbian saxifrage, grassland saxifrage, northwestern saxifrage, smooth leaf saxifrage, swamp saxifrage, whole-leaf saxifrage

dotted saxifrage, heartleaf saxifrage, Nelson's saxifrage, saxifrage

Habit Plants solitary or in clumps, (sometimes gynodioecious), often with bulbils on caudices, or short-rhizomatous. Plants solitary or tufted, with bulbils on branched caudices, rhizomatous.
Leaves

basal;

petiole flattened, 0.5–4 cm;

blade narrowly to broadly ovate, 2–7 cm, ± leathery, base attenuate, margins entire or minutely denticulate, usually ciliate, surfaces sparsely to moderately hairy.

basal;

petiole rounded, 3–30 cm;

blade reniform to round, 2–9 cm, thin or slightly fleshy, sometimes thick and fleshy, base cordate, margins deeply crenate, eciliate or sparsely short glandular-ciliate, surfaces glabrous or ± hairy.

Inflorescences

(15–)20+-flowered, open to ± congested, conic thyrses, (usually branched, lateral cymules ± open), 12–35 cm, densely pink- to purple-tipped stipitate-glandular.

10+-flowered, ± open, lax to congested, conic, sometimes also glomerate thyrses, 10–35 cm, tangled-hairy (pilose-arachnoid) at least distally, sometimes also purple- or brown-tipped stipitate-glandular.

Flowers

sepals spreading to slightly reflexed, ovate;

petals white, not spotted, obovate, clawed, 2–4 mm, longer than sepals;

filaments linear, flattened;

pistils connate to 1/2 their lengths;

ovary 1/2+ inferior.

sepals reflexed, ± ovate;

petals white to pinkish, rarely orange-spotted, ovate to oblong, narrowly to broadly clawed, 2.5–4.5 mm, longer than sepals;

filaments distinctly club-shaped;

pistils connate 1/2–3/4 their lengths;

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

Capsules

reddish or purplish, folliclelike.

green to yellow and purplish tinged to dark purple, valvate.

2n

= 38.

Micranthes integrifolia

Micranthes nelsoniana

Phenology Flowering late winter–spring.
Habitat Vernally moist meadows, grassy slopes, rock outcrops
Elevation 0-1800 m (0-5900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; OR; WA; AB; BC; NT; NU; YT; Europe (ne Russia); Asia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The occasional occurrence of sterile pollen has been noted in this as well as in other species of Micranthes (as Saxifraga, K. I. Beamish 1961). Some populations exhibit gynodioecism (P. E. Elvander 1982).

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

Varieties 6 (5 in the flora).

Although sometimes reported for North America, Saxifraga nelsoniana var. aestivalis (Fischer & C. A. Meyer) H. Ohba (S. aestivalis Fischer & C. A. Meyer) is found only in Eurasia.

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

Key
1. Inflorescences purple- or brown-tipped stipitate- glandular.
var. nelsoniana
1. Inflorescences tangled-hairy
→ 2
2. Leaf blade margins 9-12-toothed; capsules 6-12 mm; mostly Queen Charlotte Islands, adjacent coastal British Columbia.
var. carlottae
2. Leaf blade margins 12-18-toothed; capsules 3-8 mm; Oregon to Alaska and nw Canada
→ 3
3. Inflorescences somewhat lax, hairs appressed; Coast Ranges and Cascades, British Columbia, Oregon, Washington.
var. cascadensis
3. Inflorescences congested, hairs ascending; nw Canada, Alaska
→ 4
4. Leaf blades thick, fleshy; pistils connate most of their lengths; Aleutian Islands, Alaska.
var. insularis
4. Leaf blades thin, not fleshy; pistils connate to 3/4 their lengths; nw Canada, Alaska.
var. porsildiana
Source FNA vol. 8, p. 67. FNA vol. 8, p. 54.
Parent taxa 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. hitchcockiana, M. howellii, M. idahoensis, 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. marshallii, M. micranthidifolia, 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
Subordinate taxa
M. nelsoniana var. carlottae, M. nelsoniana var. cascadensis, M. nelsoniana var. insularis, M. nelsoniana var. nelsoniana, M. nelsoniana var. porsildiana
Synonyms Saxifraga integrifolia Saxifraga nelsoniana, Saxifraga punctata subsp. nelsoniana, Saxifraga punctata var. nelsoniana
Name authority (Hooker) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 137. 1905 , (D. Don) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 147. 1905 ,
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