Micranthes lyallii
Micranthes fragosa
Lyall's saxifrage, red-stem saxifrage
brittle-leaf saxifrage, Clayton's saxifrage, peak saxifrage
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 flattened, 4–10 cm;
blade broadly ovate to deltate, 4–8(–10) cm, fleshy, base attenuate, margins entire or minutely denticulate, ciliate, surfaces glabrate to sparsely hairy.
usually 10–15-flowered, lax, cylindric thyrses, (red), (4–)7–30 cm, sparsely purple-tipped stipitate-glandular.
30+-flowered, (flowers sometimes almost secund), open, lax, conic thyrses with ± open cymules on lateral branches, 20–50 cm, purple-tipped stipitate-glandular.
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).
sepals spreading to slightly reflexed, ovate to deltate;
petals white, not spotted, obovate, clawed, 2–3 mm, longer than sepals;
filaments linear, flattened;
pistils connate to 1/2 their lengths;
ovary 1/2+ inferior, appearing more superior in fruit.
green to yellow, distal 1/2 purple, ± folliclelike, (basally connate).
green or reddish purple, folliclelike.
= ca. 56, 58.
= 20, 38.
Micranthes lyallii
Micranthes fragosa
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.)
Micranthes fragosa is restored to specific status here because a review of its differences with M. nidifica shows it to be more distinctive than previously thought, and for consistency in the application of criteria for species recognition within the rest of the genus. In the southernmost part of its range, M. fragosa converges in appearance with M. californica.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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