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bog saxifrage, Oregon or bogsaxifrage, Oregon saxifrage

California saxifrage, Greene's saxifrage

Habit Plants solitary or in clusters, with caudex or thick, fleshy rhizomes. Plants solitary or in clumps, 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, 2–5 cm;

blade ovate, 2–7 cm, fleshy, base attenuate, margins serrate, rarely subentire, ciliate, surfaces hairy.

Inflorescences

(30–)50+-flowered, open to ± crowded, conic to cylindric thyrses, 25–125 cm, hairy proximally, yellow- to pink-tipped stipitate-glandular distally.

20+-flowered, (flowers often secund), open, lax thyrses with distant lateral branches, 15–30(–40) cm, 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 reflexed, sometimes spreading, triangular to ovate;

petals white, not spotted, elliptic to oblong, clawed, 2.5–4.5 mm, longer than sepals;

filaments linear, flattened;

pistils connate to 1/2 their lengths;

ovary 1/2+ inferior, appearing superior in fruit.

Capsules

green to reddish purple, folliclelike.

purplish, folliclelike.

2n

= 38, 76.

Micranthes oregana

Micranthes californica

Phenology Flowering early spring–summer. Flowering winter–early spring.
Habitat Bogs, marshes Shaded fields, rocky or unstable slopes, stream banks
Elevation 100-2500 m (300-8200 ft) 0-1500 m (0-4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; CO; ID; MT; NV; OR; WA; AB
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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.)

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 67. FNA vol. 8, p. 64.
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. nelsoniana, M. nidifica, M. nivalis, M. nudicaulis, M. occidentalis, M. odontoloma, 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. 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. 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
Synonyms Saxifraga oregana, Saxifraga montanensis, Saxifraga oregana var. montanensis Saxifraga californica, M. parvifolia, Saxifraga fallax, Saxifraga hallii, Saxifraga parvifolia, Saxifraga virginiensis var. californica
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: 140. (1905)
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