Micranthes oregana
Micranthes lyallii
bog saxifrage, Oregon or bogsaxifrage, Oregon saxifrage
Lyall's saxifrage, red-stem saxifrage
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 rounded to flattened, 2–10 cm;
blade spatulate to obovate, 0.8–8 cm, thin, base cuneate to slightly attenuate, margins serrate to dentate, eciliate or sparsely glandular-ciliate, surfaces abaxially glabrous, adaxially sparsely brown-hairy.
(30–)50+-flowered, open to ± crowded, conic to cylindric thyrses, 25–125 cm, hairy proximally, yellow- to pink-tipped stipitate-glandular distally.
usually 10–15-flowered, lax, cylindric thyrses, (red), (4–)7–30 cm, sparsely purple-tipped stipitate-glandular.
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, oblong to elliptic;
petals white, each with 2 basal yellowish green spots, elliptic to round, clawed, 2–5.5 mm, longer than sepals;
filaments club-shaped, (to 6 mm);
pistils connate 1/2+ their lengths;
ovary superior, (to 1/3 adnate to hypanthium).
green to reddish purple, folliclelike.
green to yellow, distal 1/2 purple, ± folliclelike, (basally connate).
= 38, 76.
= ca. 56, 58.
Micranthes oregana
Micranthes lyallii
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.)
Although they have nearly disjunct sets of populations, the subspecies of Micranthes lyallii are difficult to distinguish from each other. The more northern plants tend to be larger with wider leaves and often have been called Saxifraga lyallii subsp. or var. hultenii. Apparent hybrids with M. odontoloma occur in Alberta, British Columbia, and northern Idaho, and near Glacier National Park, Montana.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
CA
OR
WA
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
SW CO Wildflowers
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
BC
