Micranthes marshallii |
Micranthes nivalis |
|
---|---|---|
Idaho saxifrage, Marshall's saxifrage |
alpine saxifrage, saxifrage des neiges, snow saxifrage |
|
Habit | Plants in groups or sometimes mat-forming, rhizomatous. | Plants tufted, with bulbils on caudices. |
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 flattened, (0.4–)1–4 cm; blade ovate to ± round, sometimes elliptic or oblong, (0.5–)1–4 cm, thick, coriaceous, base attenuate to ± truncate, margins serrate to dentate on distal 2/3 (sometimes more), proximally ciliate, surfaces ± densely tangled, reddish brown-hairy abaxially, glabrous or glabrate adaxially. |
Inflorescences | 15–50+-flowered, open, lax thyrses, 20–40 cm, purple-tipped stipitate-glandular. |
(5–)10–40-flowered, congested, almost capitate thyrses, (3–)7–20 cm, ± densely 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 erect, spreading in fruit, ovate to deltate; petals white, sometimes pink tinged, not spotted, oblong to ovate, clawed, 2–4 mm, ± equaling sepals; filaments linear, flattened; pistils connate ca. 1/2 their lengths; ovary 1/2 inferior, appearing more superior in fruit. |
Capsules | greenish to reddish purple, folliclelike. |
green, becoming reddish to purplish, folliclelike. |
2n | = 20. |
= 60. |
Micranthes marshallii |
Micranthes nivalis |
|
Phenology | Flowering spring. | Flowering summer. |
Habitat | Deeply shaded watercourses, stream banks, seeps | Open, mossy tundra, rocky ridges, or shady ledges |
Elevation | 100-1000 m (300-3300 ft) | 0-1500 m (0-4900 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; OR
|
AK; AB; BC; LB; NT; NU; QC; YT; Greenland; Europe; Asia (Himalayas, Kamchatka, Siberia) |
Discussion | Micranthes nivalis is closely related to M. tenuis. All records of M. nivalis in the United States (except Alaska) appear to be misapplied to or misidentifications of M. aprica, M. occidentalis, or M. rhomboidea. Occasional, dwarfed specimens of M. hieraciifolia and M. subapetala are similarly mislabelled. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
|
Source | FNA vol. 8, p. 63. | FNA vol. 8, p. 64. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Saxifraga marshallii | Saxifraga nivalis |
Name authority | (Greene) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 145. 1905 , | (Linnaeus) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 136. 1905 , |
Web links |