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rusty-hair saxifrage

mountain saxifrage, redwool saxifrage, western saxifrage

Habit Plants solitary or in groups, with bulbils on caudices, or rhizomatous. Plants in groups or sometimes almost mat-forming, with bulbils on caudices or 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 flattened, 1–5 cm;

blade ovate to elliptic, 1.5–3.5 cm, ± fleshy, base ± attenuate to ± truncate, margins shallowly, sharply serrate, ciliate, surfaces sparsely tangled, reddish brown-hairy abaxially, glabrous adaxially.

Inflorescences

15+-flowered, open, flat-topped thyrses, 5–20 cm, purple-tipped stipitate-glandular; (bracts often tangled brown-hairy).

usually (10–)30+-flowered, flowers crowded into 1+ glomerules in thyrses with ascending branches, 8–30 cm, purple-tipped stipitate-glandular; (bracts glabrous or marginally glandular-ciliate).

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 ascending to spreading, sometimes reflexed in fruit, ovate to oblong, (surfaces glabrous);

petals white, not spotted (spots rarely present), obovate to almost round, clawed, 2–4 mm, to 1.5 times as long as sepals;

filaments linear to very slightly widened near anthers, flattened;

pistils distinct almost to base;

ovary ± superior.

Capsules

greenish to reddish purple, folliclelike.

greenish or reddish to ± dark purple, folliclelike.

2n

= 20, 38, 56, 58.

= 20, 38, 40, 56, 58.

Micranthes rufidula

Micranthes occidentalis

Phenology Flowering late winter–summer. Flowering spring–summer.
Habitat Wet to dry, rocky ledges Wet, rocky or gravelly slopes, moist to dry alpine meadows, flushes
Elevation 0-3000 m (0-9800 ft) 500-4000 m (1600-13100 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; ID; MT; NV; OR; SD; WA; WY; AB; BC; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Micranthes occidentalis appears closely related to the little-known M. mexicana (Engler & Irmscher) Brouillet & Gornall from Chihuahua, Mexico. The latter is the only species of the genus that occurs in Mexico and not in the United States. Micranthes occidentalis is disjunct between the northern Rocky Mountains and the Cypress Hills of southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan, and the Black Hills of South Dakota. It hybridizes with M. idahoensis where their ranges overlap.

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

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 62. 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. petiolaris, M. razshivinii, M. reflexa, M. rhomboidea, 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. 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 Saxifraga aequidentata, Saxifraga occidentalis subsp. rufidula, Saxifraga occidentalis var. rufidula, Saxifraga rufidula Saxifraga occidentalis, Saxifraga allenii, Saxifraga occidentalis var. allenii, Saxifraga occidentalis var. wallowensis, Saxifraga reflexa subsp. occidentalis, Saxifraga saximontana
Name authority Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 140. (1905) (S. Watson) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 144. 1905 ,
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