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

redfuzz saxifrage

Habit Plants solitary or in clusters, with caudex or thick, fleshy rhizomes. Plants solitary or in groups, with bulbils on caudices.
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, 0.5–2.5 cm;

blade ovate to elliptic, 1–2 cm, ± fleshy, base attenuate, margins sharply serrate, sparsely to densely ciliate (some glandular-tipped), surfaces densely tangled, reddish brown-hairy abaxially, glabrous adaxially.

Inflorescences

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

10+-flowered, (flowers often secund), very open, lax, often flat-topped thyrses with distant lateral branches, 6–25 cm, pink- to purplish-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 erect, triangular;

petals white, sometimes purplish-tipped, not spotted, obovate to elliptic, not clawed or barely clawed, 4–7 mm, ca. 2 times as long as sepals;

filaments linear, flattened;

pistils distinct almost to base;

ovary 1/3–1/2 inferior.

Capsules

green to reddish purple, folliclelike.

purplish, valvate.

2n

= 38, 76.

Micranthes oregana

Micranthes eriophora

Phenology Flowering early spring–summer. Flowering late winter–early summer.
Habitat Bogs, marshes Rocky slopes and ledges
Elevation 100-2500 m (300-8200 ft) 1900-3000 m (6200-9800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; CO; ID; MT; NV; OR; WA; AB
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Baja California, Chihuahua)
[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. californica, M. calycina, M. careyana, M. caroliniana, 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 eriophora
Name authority (Howell) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 138. 1905 , (S. Watson) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 142. (1905)
Web links