Micranthes oregana |
Micranthes nivalis |
|
---|---|---|
bog saxifrage, Oregon or bogsaxifrage, Oregon saxifrage |
alpine saxifrage, saxifrage des neiges, snow saxifrage |
|
Habit | Plants solitary or in clusters, with caudex or thick, fleshy rhizomes. | Plants tufted, 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, (0.4–)1–4 cm; blade ovate to ± round, sometimes elliptic or oblong, (0.5–)1–4 cm, thick, coriaceous, base attenuate to ± truncate, margins serrate to dentate on distal 2/3 (sometimes more), proximally ciliate, surfaces ± densely tangled, reddish brown-hairy abaxially, glabrous or glabrate adaxially. |
Inflorescences | (30–)50+-flowered, open to ± crowded, conic to cylindric thyrses, 25–125 cm, hairy proximally, yellow- to pink-tipped stipitate-glandular distally. |
(5–)10–40-flowered, congested, almost capitate thyrses, (3–)7–20 cm, ± densely 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 erect, spreading in fruit, ovate to deltate; petals white, sometimes pink tinged, not spotted, oblong to ovate, clawed, 2–4 mm, ± equaling sepals; filaments linear, flattened; pistils connate ca. 1/2 their lengths; ovary 1/2 inferior, appearing more superior in fruit. |
Capsules | green to reddish purple, folliclelike. |
green, becoming reddish to purplish, folliclelike. |
2n | = 38, 76. |
= 60. |
Micranthes oregana |
Micranthes nivalis |
|
Phenology | Flowering early spring–summer. | Flowering summer. |
Habitat | Bogs, marshes | Open, mossy tundra, rocky ridges, or shady ledges |
Elevation | 100-2500 m (300-8200 ft) | 0-1500 m (0-4900 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; CO; ID; MT; NV; OR; WA; AB
|
AK; AB; BC; LB; NT; NU; QC; YT; Greenland; Europe; Asia (Himalayas, Kamchatka, Siberia) |
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 nivalis is closely related to M. tenuis. All records of M. nivalis in the United States (except Alaska) appear to be misapplied to or misidentifications of M. aprica, M. occidentalis, or M. rhomboidea. Occasional, dwarfed specimens of M. hieraciifolia and M. subapetala are similarly mislabelled. (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 | ||
Synonyms | Saxifraga oregana, Saxifraga montanensis, Saxifraga oregana var. montanensis | Saxifraga nivalis |
Name authority | (Howell) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 138. 1905 , | (Linnaeus) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 136. 1905 , |
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