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Micranthes lyallii

Lyall's saxifrage, red-stem saxifrage

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

Habit Plants solitary or sometimes mat-forming, rhizomatous. Plants solitary or tufted, with bulbils on caudices.
Leaves

basal;

petiole rounded to flattened, 2–10 cm;

blade spatulate to obovate, 0.8–8 cm, thin, base cuneate to slightly attenuate, margins serrate to dentate, eciliate or sparsely glandular-ciliate, surfaces abaxially glabrous, adaxially sparsely brown-hairy.

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

usually 10–15-flowered, lax, cylindric thyrses, (red), (4–)7–30 cm, sparsely purple-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, oblong to elliptic;

petals white, each with 2 basal yellowish green spots, elliptic to round, clawed, 2–5.5 mm, longer than sepals;

filaments club-shaped, (to 6 mm);

pistils connate 1/2+ their lengths;

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

Capsules

green to yellow, distal 1/2 purple, ± folliclelike, (basally connate).

green to purplish, valvate.

2n

= ca. 56, 58.

= 56.

Micranthes lyallii

Micranthes foliolosa

Phenology Flowering summer–early autumn. Flowering late summer.
Habitat Wet, rocky meadows, mountain to alpine streamsides Mossy tundra near streams and flushes, wet, rocky slopes, snowbeds
Elevation 800-4000 m (2600-13100 ft) 0-1800 m (0-5900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; ID; MT; WA; AB; BC; NT; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; CO; ME; NL; NT; NU; QC; YT; Greenland; n Europe; n Asia
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Although they have nearly disjunct sets of populations, the subspecies of Micranthes lyallii are difficult to distinguish from each other. The more northern plants tend to be larger with wider leaves and often have been called Saxifraga lyallii subsp. or var. hultenii. Apparent hybrids with M. odontoloma occur in Alberta, British Columbia, and northern Idaho, and near Glacier National Park, Montana.

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

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 57. FNA vol. 8, p. 57.
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. integrifolia, 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 lyallii, Saxifraga lyallii subsp. hultenii, Saxifraga lyallii var. hultenii Saxifraga foliolosa, Saxifraga foliolosa var. multiflora, Saxifraga stellaris subsp. comosa, Saxifraga stellaris var. comosa
Name authority (Engler) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 143. 1905 , (R. Brown) Gornall: J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 1: 1020. 2007 ,
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