Micranthes lyallii |
Micranthes reflexa |
|
---|---|---|
Lyall's saxifrage, red-stem saxifrage |
Yukon saxifrage |
|
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 broadly flattened, 1–2 cm; blade elliptic to broadly ovate, 1–3 cm, fleshy, base attenuate, margins shallowly serrate (teeth to 1 mm), densely ciliate, surfaces tangled reddish brown-hairy. |
Inflorescences | usually 10–15-flowered, lax, cylindric thyrses, (red), (4–)7–30 cm, sparsely purple-tipped stipitate-glandular. |
15+-flowered thyrses with flowers crowded at branch tips, 7–60 cm, ± hairy, also with some purple-tipped glandular hairs. |
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 reflexed, ovate to triangular; petals white, with 2 basal yellow spots (spots distinct even in dried material), elliptic to spatulate, clawed, 2–4 mm, longer than sepals; filaments strongly club-shaped, (longer than petals); pistils distinct almost to base; ovary superior, (to 1/3 adnate to hypanthium). |
Capsules | green to yellow, distal 1/2 purple, ± folliclelike, (basally connate). |
green to purplish, folliclelike. |
2n | = ca. 56, 58. |
= 20, 40. |
Micranthes lyallii |
Micranthes reflexa |
|
Phenology | Flowering summer–early autumn. | Flowering late spring–summer. |
Habitat | Wet, rocky meadows, mountain to alpine streamsides | Heath, tundra, dry to mesic meadows, alpine gravelly slopes and fellfields, open woods |
Elevation | 800-4000 m (2600-13100 ft) | 0-1800 m (0-5900 ft) |
Distribution |
AK; ID; MT; WA; AB; BC; NT; YT
|
AK; BC; NT; YT |
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.) |
Micranthes idahoensis, M. marshallii, and M. reflexa form a morphological complex of ecologically and geographically distinct entities in western North America that is much in need of study. The eastern North American M. careyana and M. caroliniana are also morphologically similar to the members of this complex. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 8, p. 57. | FNA vol. 8, p. 63. |
Parent taxa | Saxifragaceae > Micranthes | Saxifragaceae > Micranthes |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Saxifraga lyallii, Saxifraga lyallii subsp. hultenii, Saxifraga lyallii var. hultenii | Saxifraga reflexa |
Name authority | (Engler) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 143. 1905 , | (Hooker) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 146. (1905) |
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