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Habit Plants solitary or tufted, short, thick-rhizomatous. Plants solitary or tufted, with bulbils on caudices.
Leaves

basal;

petiole rounded, 4–15 cm;

blade round, ovate, or reniform, 3–15 cm, thin, base cordate, margins serrate to dentate, ciliate, surfaces hairy to glabrate.

basal;

petiole flattened, 1–10 cm;

blade broadly ovate to elliptic, 2–14 cm, thin to slightly fleshy, base truncate, margins deeply dentate (teeth 2+ mm), sparsely glandular-ciliate, surfaces densely white-hairy.

Inflorescences

15+-flowered, congested, spikelike thyrses, 15–50(–70) cm, tangled, pink- to purple-tipped stipitate-glandular.

15+-flowered, open, lax thyrses, 10–50 cm, purple-tipped stipitate-glandular.

Flowers

sepals reflexed, oblong to ovate;

petals cream to yellowish, not spotted, oblong, not clawed, 3–4.5 mm, longer than sepals;

filaments narrowly club-shaped;

pistils connate at least 1/2 their lengths;

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

sepals reflexed, oblong;

petals white, with 2 basal yellow spots (distinct even in dried material), ovate to elliptic, short-clawed, 2–4 mm, much longer than sepals;

filaments elongate, (longer than petals), club-shaped;

pistils distinct almost to base;

ovary superior.

Capsules

green, purplish tinged, ± folliclelike, (basally connate).

greenish to yellow, folliclelike.

Micranthes spicata

Micranthes caroliniana

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering spring.
Habitat Wet tundra, heaths, moist, rocky areas, streamsides Moist soil at bases of vertical or overhanging rock outcrops, seeps
Elevation 0-1700 m (0-5600 ft) 500-1200 m (1600-3900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; YT
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NC; TN; VA; WV
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 8, p. 57. FNA vol. 8, p. 61.
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. rufidula, 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. 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. tolmiei, M. unalaschcensis, M. virginiensis
Synonyms Saxifraga spicata Saxifraga caroliniana
Name authority (D. Don) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 146. (1905) (A. Gray) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 146. (1905)
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