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dotted saxifrage, heartleaf saxifrage, Nelson's saxifrage, saxifrage

Habit Plants solitary or tufted, with bulbils on branched caudices, rhizomatous. Plants solitary or in clusters, rhizomatous.
Leaves

basal;

petiole rounded, 3–30 cm;

blade reniform to round, 2–9 cm, thin or slightly fleshy, sometimes thick and fleshy, base cordate, margins deeply crenate, eciliate or sparsely short glandular-ciliate, surfaces glabrous or ± hairy.

basal;

petiole ± distinct, flattened, (0.5–)1–3.5 cm;

blade rhombic or fan-shaped, sometimes nearly round, (1–)1.5–3.5 cm, ± fleshy, base attenuate to ± cuneate, margins 7–11-toothed in distal 1/2–2/3 (teeth 1–3 mm), sparsely ciliate, surfaces glabrous.

Inflorescences

10+-flowered, ± open, lax to congested, conic, sometimes also glomerate thyrses, 10–35 cm, tangled-hairy (pilose-arachnoid) at least distally, sometimes also purple- or brown-tipped stipitate-glandular.

3–15-flowered, usually racemiform, sometimes paniculiform thyrses, 3–15 cm, axis glabrous or sparsely long-hairy, branches ± densely (rarely sparsely) long tangled-hairy; (bracts reduced).

Flowers

sepals reflexed, ± ovate;

petals white to pinkish, rarely orange-spotted, ovate to oblong, narrowly to broadly clawed, 2.5–4.5 mm, longer than sepals;

filaments distinctly club-shaped;

pistils connate 1/2–3/4 their lengths;

ovary superior (to 1/3 adnate to hypanthium).

sepals reflexed, lanceolate to ovate;

petals white to cream, sometimes purplish, not spotted, linear to narrowly elliptic, not clawed, 2–4 mm, longer than sepals;

filaments linear, flattened;

pistils connate 1/2+ their lengths, (conic);

ovary ± 1/2 inferior.

Capsules

green to yellow and purplish tinged to dark purple, valvate.

purple-black, valvate.

2n

= 24.

Micranthes nelsoniana

Micranthes calycina

Phenology Flowering summer.
Habitat Flushes, stream banks, tundra, around late snowbeds, screes
Elevation (0-)30-1700 m ((0-)100-5600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; OR; WA; AB; BC; NT; NU; YT; Europe (ne Russia); Asia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; e Asia (Russian Far East)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 6 (5 in the flora).

Although sometimes reported for North America, Saxifraga nelsoniana var. aestivalis (Fischer & C. A. Meyer) H. Ohba (S. aestivalis Fischer & C. A. Meyer) is found only in Eurasia.

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

Micranthes calycina is found mostly in western Alaska, in the north from the Seward Peninsula to the Brooks Range west of Atigun Pass, and in the south from Unimak Island and the Ahklum Mountains to the Saint Elias Mountains. It is also present on the main Bering Sea islands, but apparently not on the Aleutians west of Unimak. Plants of this species sometimes have been misidentified as M. davurica (Willdenow) Small, a species restricted to eastern Siberia.

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

Key
1. Inflorescences purple- or brown-tipped stipitate- glandular.
var. nelsoniana
1. Inflorescences tangled-hairy
→ 2
2. Leaf blade margins 9-12-toothed; capsules 6-12 mm; mostly Queen Charlotte Islands, adjacent coastal British Columbia.
var. carlottae
2. Leaf blade margins 12-18-toothed; capsules 3-8 mm; Oregon to Alaska and nw Canada
→ 3
3. Inflorescences somewhat lax, hairs appressed; Coast Ranges and Cascades, British Columbia, Oregon, Washington.
var. cascadensis
3. Inflorescences congested, hairs ascending; nw Canada, Alaska
→ 4
4. Leaf blades thick, fleshy; pistils connate most of their lengths; Aleutian Islands, Alaska.
var. insularis
4. Leaf blades thin, not fleshy; pistils connate to 3/4 their lengths; nw Canada, Alaska.
var. porsildiana
Source FNA vol. 8, p. 54. FNA vol. 8, p. 59.
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. lyallii, M. marshallii, M. micranthidifolia, 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. 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
M. nelsoniana var. carlottae, M. nelsoniana var. cascadensis, M. nelsoniana var. insularis, M. nelsoniana var. nelsoniana, M. nelsoniana var. porsildiana
Synonyms Saxifraga nelsoniana, Saxifraga punctata subsp. nelsoniana, Saxifraga punctata var. nelsoniana Saxifraga calycina, Saxifraga davurica subsp. grandipetala, Saxifraga davurica var. grandipetala
Name authority (D. Don) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 147. 1905 , (Sternberg) Gornall & H. Ohba: J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 1: 1020. (2007)
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