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

large-petal saxifrage, razshivin's saxifrage

Habit Plants solitary or in clusters, with caudex or thick, fleshy rhizomes. Plants solitary or in clusters, 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 ± distinct to indistinct, flattened, (0.3–)0.5–3 cm;

blade oblanceolate to narrowly oblanceolate or narrowly spatulate, sometimes ± narrowly obovate, (0.5–)0.9–3.5 cm, ± fleshy, base ± attenuate to cuneate, margins (3–)5–7(–9)-toothed in distal 1/2 (teeth 0.5 mm), sparsely ciliate, surfaces glabrous.

Inflorescences

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

(2–)4–16-flowered, open, racemiform, sometimes paniculiform thyrses, sometimes solitary flowers, 3–15.5(–17 in fruit) cm, glabrous; (bracts reduced).

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, oblong or lanceolate to ovate;

petals white to cream, often purplish, not spotted, linear to ± narrowly elliptic, not clawed, 2–4 mm, usually longer to sometimes shorter than sepals;

filaments linear, flattened;

pistils connate 1/2+ their lengths, (conic);

ovary ± 1/2 inferior.

Capsules

green to reddish purple, folliclelike.

dark purple-black, valvate.

2n

= 38, 76.

Micranthes oregana

Micranthes razshivinii

Phenology Flowering early spring–summer. Flowering summer.
Habitat Bogs, marshes Tundra, stream banks, alpine rocky slopes
Elevation 100-2500 m (300-8200 ft) 400-2000 m (1300-6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; CO; ID; MT; NV; OR; WA; AB
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; NT; YT
[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 razshivinii is found in eastern Alaska (eastern Brooks Range, from Atigun Pass eastward and from Mount McKinley National Park eastward) into Yukon and in the Mackenzie and Richardson mountains in the Northwest Territories. Its leaves are generally narrower than those of M. calycina and the teeth are less numerous. The glabrous inflorescence branches of M. razshivinii readily distinguish it from M. calycina, which has hairy branches. The ranges of the two species may overlap or at least abut in the Atigun Pass area of the Brooks Range, in the Mount McKinley National Park area, and possibly in the Saint Elias Mountains. Hybrids would be very difficult to distinguish from the parents but may occur. They have not been observed in the material examined. Plants of this species sometimes have been misidentified as M. davurica (Willdenow) Small, a species restricted to eastern Siberia.

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

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 67. FNA vol. 8, p. 59.
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. 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. 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 razshivinii
Name authority (Howell) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 138. 1905 , (Zhmylev) Brouillet & Gornall: J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 1: 1021. (2007)
Web links