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Micranthes lyallii

Lyall's saxifrage, red-stem saxifrage

hawkweed-leaf saxifrage

Habit Plants solitary or sometimes mat-forming, rhizomatous. Plants mostly solitary, with short caudices, sometimes rhizomatous.
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 sometimes indistinct, flattened, 2–4 cm;

blade ovate to elliptic, 2–6 cm, ± fleshy, base cuneate to slightly attenuate, margins usually ± evenly serrulate to denticulate, ciliate, surfaces sparsely to densely hairy and sparsely stipitate-glandular.

Inflorescences

usually 10–15-flowered, lax, cylindric thyrses, (red), (4–)7–30 cm, sparsely purple-tipped stipitate-glandular.

30+-flowered, constricted, spikelike thyrses, 7–30 cm, tangled-hairy proximally, densely purple-tipped stipitate-glandular distally.

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).

sepals spreading to reflexed, triangular to ovate;

petals dark reddish purple, not spotted, narrowly ovate to lanceolate, slightly clawed, 1.5–3 mm, equaling sepals;

filaments linear, flattened;

pistils connate to 1/2 their lengths;

ovary 1/2+ inferior.

Capsules

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

reddish to purple, valvate.

2n

= ca. 56, 58.

= 112, 120.

Micranthes lyallii

Micranthes hieraciifolia

Phenology Flowering summer–early autumn. Flowering summer.
Habitat Wet, rocky meadows, mountain to alpine streamsides Wet, mossy tundra, streamsides, ledges, crevices
Elevation 800-4000 m (2600-13100 ft) 0-2000 m (0-6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; ID; MT; WA; AB; BC; NT; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; MT; BC; NT; NU; YT; Greenland; Europe; 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.)

In British Columbia, Micranthes hieraciifolia is disjunct between the far north and the Okanagan-Thompson Plateau in the south (S. A. Harris 2003).

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

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 57. FNA vol. 8, p. 66.
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. foliolosa, M. fragosa, M. gaspensis, M. gormanii, 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 hieraciifolia, Saxifraga hieraciifolia var. angusticapsula, Saxifraga hieraciifolia var. rufopilosa
Name authority (Engler) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 143. 1905 , (Waldstein & Kitaibel ex Willdenow) Haworth: Saxifrag. Enum., 45. 1821 (as hieracifolia) ,
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