Micranthes rufidula |
Micranthes lyallii |
|
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rusty-hair saxifrage |
Lyall's saxifrage, red-stem saxifrage |
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Habit | Plants solitary or in groups, with bulbils on caudices, or rhizomatous. | Plants solitary or sometimes mat-forming, rhizomatous. |
Leaves | basal; petiole flattened, 4–8 cm; blade ovate to elliptic, 1–4 cm, fleshy, base attenuate to ± truncate, margins serrate (15–30- toothed), eciliate, surfaces densely tangled, reddish brown-hairy abaxially, glabrous adaxially. |
basal; petiole rounded to flattened, 2–10 cm; blade spatulate to obovate, 0.8–8 cm, thin, base cuneate to slightly attenuate, margins serrate to dentate, eciliate or sparsely glandular-ciliate, surfaces abaxially glabrous, adaxially sparsely brown-hairy. |
Inflorescences | 15+-flowered, open, flat-topped thyrses, 5–20 cm, purple-tipped stipitate-glandular; (bracts often tangled brown-hairy). |
usually 10–15-flowered, lax, cylindric thyrses, (red), (4–)7–30 cm, sparsely purple-tipped stipitate-glandular. |
Flowers | sepals spreading, ovate, (often tangled brown-hairy); petals white, not spotted, ovate to elliptic, clawed, 2–4 mm, longer than sepals; filaments linear, flattened to slightly club-shaped; pistils distinct almost to base; ovary superior, (to 1/3 adnate to hypanthium). |
sepals reflexed, oblong to elliptic; petals white, each with 2 basal yellowish green spots, elliptic to round, clawed, 2–5.5 mm, longer than sepals; filaments club-shaped, (to 6 mm); pistils connate 1/2+ their lengths; ovary superior, (to 1/3 adnate to hypanthium). |
Capsules | greenish to reddish purple, folliclelike. |
green to yellow, distal 1/2 purple, ± folliclelike, (basally connate). |
2n | = 20, 38, 56, 58. |
= ca. 56, 58. |
Micranthes rufidula |
Micranthes lyallii |
|
Phenology | Flowering late winter–summer. | Flowering summer–early autumn. |
Habitat | Wet to dry, rocky ledges | Wet, rocky meadows, mountain to alpine streamsides |
Elevation | 0-3000 m (0-9800 ft) | 800-4000 m (2600-13100 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; OR; WA; BC
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AK; ID; MT; WA; AB; BC; NT; YT
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Discussion | Although they have nearly disjunct sets of populations, the subspecies of Micranthes lyallii are difficult to distinguish from each other. The more northern plants tend to be larger with wider leaves and often have been called Saxifraga lyallii subsp. or var. hultenii. Apparent hybrids with M. odontoloma occur in Alberta, British Columbia, and northern Idaho, and near Glacier National Park, Montana. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
|
Source | FNA vol. 8, p. 62. | FNA vol. 8, p. 57. |
Parent taxa | Saxifragaceae > Micranthes | Saxifragaceae > Micranthes |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Saxifraga aequidentata, Saxifraga occidentalis subsp. rufidula, Saxifraga occidentalis var. rufidula, Saxifraga rufidula | Saxifraga lyallii, Saxifraga lyallii subsp. hultenii, Saxifraga lyallii var. hultenii |
Name authority | Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 140. (1905) | (Engler) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 143. 1905 , |
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