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Michaux's saxifrage

alpine saxifrage, Tolmie's alpine saxifrage, Tolmie's saxifrage

Habit Plants solitary or tufted, with bulbils on caudices. Plants mat-forming, (stems trailing, thin, basally slightly woody), with slender, woody caudices.
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.

cauline, proximally crowded;

petiole absent;

blade elliptic-obovate, 0.8–1.5 cm, fleshy, base cuneate, margins entire, sometimes proximally sparsely long-ciliate, surfaces glabrous.

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).

2–10-flowered, lax cymes, sometimes solitary flowers, 3–12 cm, glabrous or purplish- or pink-tipped stipitate-glandular; (bracts 1–3, proximal).

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 erect to spreading, ovate;

petals white, not spotted, linear to oblanceolate, 2.5–5 mm, longer than sepals, short- or not clawed;

filaments broadly club-shaped (± petaloid);

pistils connate to 1/2 their lengths;

ovary ± superior (to 1/4 adnate to hypanthium).

Capsules

green to yellow, sometimes purple tinged, valvate

green, purple mottled, valvate.

2n

= 30.

Micranthes petiolaris

Micranthes tolmiei

Phenology Flowering late spring–early autumn. Flowering summer.
Habitat Wet ledges, boulderfields, and rocky slopes, usually in thin soil over rock Arctic and alpine tundra, fell-fields
Elevation 500-2100 m (1600-6900 ft) 500-4000 m (1600-13100 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
GA; KY; MD; NC; SC; TN; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; BC
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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.)

Unlike those of most Micranthes species, the leaves of M. tolmiei are proximally cauline and the ovules have two integuments. The seeds have a loose, winglike testa.

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

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 58. FNA vol. 8, p. 54.
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. 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. tischii, M. unalaschcensis, M. virginiensis
Synonyms Hexaphoma petiolaris, Saxifraga michauxii, Saxifraga petiolaris Saxifraga tolmiei, Saxifraga tolmiei var. ledifolia
Name authority (Rafinesque) Bush: Amer. Midl. Naturalist 11: 225. 1928 , (Torrey & A. Gray) Brouillet & Gornall: J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 1: 1022. 2007 ,
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