Micranthes oregana |
Micranthes aprica |
|
---|---|---|
bog saxifrage, Oregon or bogsaxifrage, Oregon saxifrage |
Sierra saxifrage |
|
Habit | Plants solitary or in clusters, with caudex or thick, fleshy rhizomes. | Plants solitary, in clumps, or sometimes mat-forming, with bulbils on caudices, or rhizomatous. |
Leaves | basal; petiole indistinct, flattened, 3–10 cm; blade linear to oblanceolate, 6–25 cm, fleshy, base cuneate, margins serrulate to denticulate, ciliate, surfaces glabrous or sparsely hairy. |
basal; petiole flattened, 0.5–2 cm; blade obovate to elliptic, 1.5–4 cm, fleshy, base attenuate, margins entire or apically denticulate, eciliate, surfaces glabrous or sparsely hairy. |
Inflorescences | (30–)50+-flowered, open to ± crowded, conic to cylindric thyrses, 25–125 cm, hairy proximally, yellow- to pink-tipped stipitate-glandular distally. |
5+-flowered, densely crowded in 1–3 glomerulate, often flat-topped thyrses, 3.5–15(–20) cm, sparsely purple-tipped stipitate-glandular. |
Flowers | sepals reflexed, ovate to triangular; petals white, not spotted, broadly elliptic to obovate and 2 times as long as sepals, sometimes oblanceolate and equaling or shorter than sepals, clawed, 2–5 mm; filaments linear, flattened; pistils connate to 1/2 their lengths; ovary 1/2+ inferior, often appearing superior in fruit. |
sepals ascending to spreading, ovate; petals white, not spotted, elliptic to linear, clawed, 1.8–3 mm, slightly longer than sepals; filaments linear, flattened; pistils connate to 1/2 their lengths; ovary inferior, appearing more superior in fruit. |
Capsules | green to reddish purple, folliclelike. |
purple, folliclelike. |
2n | = 38, 76. |
= 20. |
Micranthes oregana |
Micranthes aprica |
|
Phenology | Flowering early spring–summer. | Flowering summer. |
Habitat | Bogs, marshes | Rocky alpine and snowbed meadows |
Elevation | 100-2500 m (300-8200 ft) | 1700-4500 m (5600-14800 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; CO; ID; MT; NV; OR; WA; AB
|
CA; NV; OR
|
Discussion | In both habitat and morphology, Micranthes oregana is similar to M. pensylvanica. A thorough investigation of the two species, especially the populations in Colorado that are disjunct from those in Montana, is needed to clarify relationships. The name Saxifraga integrifolia was misapplied to M. oregana by early California authors. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Specimens of Micranthes aprica from the Klamath region of California and Oregon are unusually robust, occur at unusually low elevations, and have usually pollen-sterile flowers (P. E. Elvander 1984). In the Steens Mountains of southwestern Oregon, specimens that are morphologically similar to M. rhomboidea from some Utah locations can be found. Although tentatively relegated to M. aprica, these populations need thorough study. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 8, p. 67. | FNA vol. 8, p. 69. |
Parent taxa | Saxifragaceae > Micranthes | Saxifragaceae > Micranthes |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Saxifraga oregana, Saxifraga montanensis, Saxifraga oregana var. montanensis | Saxifraga aprica |
Name authority | (Howell) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 138. 1905 , | (Greene) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 135. (1905) |
Web links |