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Palmer's saxifrage

Olympic saxifrage, tisch's saxifrage

Habit Plants solitary or in clumps, with bulbils on caudices. Plants solitary or in groups, with bulbils on caudices.
Leaves

basal;

petiole flattened, 1–9 cm;

blade ovate to elliptic, 2–8 cm, slightly fleshy, base attenuate, margins entire or subentire, ciliate, surfaces tangled, reddish brown-hairy.

basal;

petiole flattened, 0.4–2 cm;

blade ovate to elliptic, 0.5–2.5 cm, fleshy, base attenuate, margins serrate (7–16-toothed), ciliate, surfaces reddish brown-tomentose abaxially, glabrous or rarely glabrate adaxially.

Inflorescences

30+-flowered, (flowers sometimes almost secund), very open, lax thyrses, 6–50 cm, hairy proximally, densely so distally.

(3–)5–15(–18)-flowered, open, flat-topped thyrses or cymes, 2–7 cm, purple-tipped stipitate-glandular.

Flowers

sepals erect to ascending, ovate to triangular;

petals white, not spotted, broadly oblong to elliptic, not clawed, 3–6 mm, 2+ times as long as sepals;

filaments linear, flattened;

pistils distinct almost to base;

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

sepals spreading to reflexed, ovate;

petals greenish, often purple-margined, not spotted, lanceolate to obovate, not clawed, 1.2–2(–2.5) mm, equaling to longer than sepals;

filaments linear, flattened;

pistils distinct almost to base;

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

Capsules

green with reddish or purplish tinge, or reddish purple, folliclelike.

purplish, folliclelike.

Micranthes palmeri

Micranthes tischii

Phenology Flowering spring. Flowering summer.
Habitat Rocky, open woodlands Wet, cool, shaded, thin-soil ledges and rock crevices
Elevation 100-1000 m (300-3300 ft) 1300-2400 m (4300-7900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AR; OK
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
WA; BC
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Micranthes tischii is known only from the Olympic Peninsula and from inland, mountainous Vancouver Island, British Columbia (Ogilvie & Beguin 798911, V). Closely related to M. rufidula, M. tischii appears to be highly specialized for its habitat. The unusual persistent, green, not clawed (versus deciduous, white, clawed) petals readily distinguish the two species.

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

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 61. FNA vol. 8, p. 63.
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. oregana, 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. razshivinii, M. reflexa, M. rhomboidea, M. rufidula, M. spicata, M. stellaris, M. subapetala, M. tempestiva, M. tenuis, M. texana, M. tolmiei, M. unalaschcensis, M. virginiensis
Synonyms Saxifraga palmeri, Saxifraga virginiensis var. subintegra Saxifraga tischii
Name authority Bush: Amer. Midl. Naturalist 11: 221. 1928 , (Skelly) Brouillet & Gornall: J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 1: 1021. 2007 ,
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