Micranthes marshallii |
Micranthes lyallii |
|
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Idaho saxifrage, Marshall's saxifrage |
Lyall's saxifrage, red-stem saxifrage |
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Habit | Plants in groups or sometimes mat-forming, rhizomatous. | Plants solitary or sometimes mat-forming, rhizomatous. |
Leaves | basal; petiole flattened, 3–15 cm; blade ovate, 1–5 cm, ± fleshy, base attenuate, margins shallowly crenate-serrate (teeth ca. 2 mm), eciliate, surfaces sparsely tangled, reddish brown-hairy abaxially, glabrate adaxially. |
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. |
Inflorescences | 15–50+-flowered, open, lax thyrses, 20–40 cm, purple-tipped stipitate-glandular. |
usually 10–15-flowered, lax, cylindric thyrses, (red), (4–)7–30 cm, sparsely purple-tipped stipitate-glandular. |
Flowers | sepals reflexed, lanceolate to oblong; petals white, with 2 basal yellow spots (often faded when dried), ovate, clawed, 1.5–4.5 mm, longer than sepals; filaments strongly club-shaped, sometimes petaloid (short-clawed, equaling petals); pistils distinct almost to base; ovary superior, (to 1/3 adnate to hypanthium). |
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 | greenish to reddish purple, folliclelike. |
green to yellow, distal 1/2 purple, ± folliclelike, (basally connate). |
2n | = 20. |
= ca. 56, 58. |
Micranthes marshallii |
Micranthes lyallii |
|
Phenology | Flowering spring. | Flowering summer–early autumn. |
Habitat | Deeply shaded watercourses, stream banks, seeps | Wet, rocky meadows, mountain to alpine streamsides |
Elevation | 100-1000 m (300-3300 ft) | 800-4000 m (2600-13100 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; OR
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AK; ID; MT; WA; AB; BC; NT; YT
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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.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 8, p. 63. | FNA vol. 8, p. 57. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Saxifraga marshallii | Saxifraga lyallii, Saxifraga lyallii subsp. hultenii, Saxifraga lyallii var. hultenii |
Name authority | (Greene) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 145. 1905 , | (Engler) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 143. 1905 , |
Web links |