The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

bog saxifrage, Oregon or bogsaxifrage, Oregon saxifrage

Carey's saxifrage

Habit Plants solitary or in clusters, with caudex or thick, fleshy rhizomes. Plants often mat-forming, with extensive rhizomes.
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, 1–7 cm;

blade rounded or broadly ovate to oblong, 1–7 cm, thin, base truncate, margins coarsely serrate to dentate, sparsely ciliate, surfaces sparsely to ± densely tangled, reddish brown-hairy.

Inflorescences

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

40+-flowered, lax, open thyrses, 10–40(–50) 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 spreading, broadly ovate;

petals white, sometimes some with 2 faint, basal yellow spots (sometimes fading upon drying), narrowly ovate to elliptic, clawed, 2–4(–5) mm, 2+ times as long as sepals;

filaments linear, flattened;

pistils distinct almost to base;

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

Capsules

green to reddish purple, folliclelike.

green, ± purple tinged, folliclelike.

2n

= 38, 76.

Micranthes oregana

Micranthes careyana

Phenology Flowering early spring–summer. Flowering spring–early summer.
Habitat Bogs, marshes Moist soil at bases of vertical or overhanging rock outcrops, seeps
Elevation 100-2500 m (300-8200 ft) 500-1600 m (1600-5200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; CO; ID; MT; NV; OR; WA; AB
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; GA; KY; NC; TN; VA; WV
[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.)

Micranthes careyana is very similar to M. caroliniana; both are in need of study.

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

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 67. FNA vol. 8, p. 61.
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. californica, M. calycina, 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 careyana, Saxifraga tennesseensis
Name authority (Howell) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 138. 1905 , (A. Gray) Small: Fl. S.E. U.S., 501. 1903 ,
Web links