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Michaux's saxifrage

Gorman's saxifrage

Habit Plants solitary or tufted, with bulbils on caudices. Plants in groups or, sometimes, almost mat-forming, rhizomatous.
Leaves

basal;

petiole somewhat flattened, 2–6 cm;

blade oblanceolate, 2–12 cm, thin, basecuneate to ± attenuate, margins usually 15+-toothed (teeth large, lobelike), densely long glandular-ciliate, surfaces hairy.

basal;

petiole flattened, 5–7.5 cm;

blade ovate to elliptic, 3–4 cm, fleshy, base attenuate, margins shallowly crenate-serrate, sparsely ciliate, surfaces tangled, reddish brown-hairy.

Inflorescences

30+-flowered, very open, lax thyrses, (flowers rarely replaced by bulbils), 10–40 cm, densely tangled, purple-tipped stipitate-glandular; (bracts leaflike, gradually reduced distally).

(10–)30+-flowered, open, lax, strongly divaricately branched, conic thyrses, 8–30 cm, purple-tipped stipitate-glandular; (bracts glabrous, proximal marginally ciliate).

Flowers

slightly bilaterally symmetric;

sepals reflexed, oblong to elliptic;

petals white, 3 with 2 basal yellow spots, 2 without spots, oblanceolate to spatulate, clawed, 3–4.5 mm, longer than sepals;

filaments linear, flattened;

pistils connate 1/2+ their lengths;

ovary superior.

sepals ascending, ovate to oblong, (margins eciliate, surfaces glabrous);

petals white, not spotted, obovate to ± round, clawed, ca. 2 mm, ca. 1.5 times as long as sepals;

filaments linear, flattened;

pistils distinct almost to base;

ovary nearly 1/3 inferior, (to 1/3 adnate to hypanthium).

Capsules

green to yellow, sometimes purple tinged, valvate

greenish to reddish purple, folliclelike.

2n

= 20, 38, 40.

Micranthes petiolaris

Micranthes gormanii

Phenology Flowering late spring–early autumn. Flowering spring.
Habitat Wet ledges, boulderfields, and rocky slopes, usually in thin soil over rock Wet, rocky ledges and slopes
Elevation 500-2100 m (1600-6900 ft) 0-1000 m (0-3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
GA; KY; MD; NC; SC; TN; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
OR; WA
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Micranthes petiolaris (Rafinesque) Brouillet & Gornall is an isonym.

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

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 58. FNA vol. 8, p. 62.
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. palmeri, M. pensylvanica, 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. 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 Hexaphoma petiolaris, Saxifraga michauxii, Saxifraga petiolaris Saxifraga gormanii, Saxifraga occidentalis var. dentata
Name authority (Rafinesque) Bush: Amer. Midl. Naturalist 11: 225. 1928 , (Suksdorf) Brouillet & Gornall: J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 1: 1020. 2007 ,
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