Micranthes texana |
Micranthes aprica |
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Texas saxifrage |
Sierra saxifrage |
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Habit | Plants solitary or in clumps, with bulbils on caudices. | Plants solitary, in clumps, or sometimes mat-forming, with bulbils on caudices, or rhizomatous. |
Leaves | basal; petiole flattened, 1–3 cm; blade broadly ovate to oblong, 1.5–3 cm, ± leathery, base ± abruptly attenuate, margins subentire to slightly crenate, eciliate, surfaces glabrate to sparsely hairy. |
basal; petiole flattened, 0.5–2 cm; blade obovate to elliptic, 1.5–4 cm, fleshy, base attenuate, margins entire or apically denticulate, eciliate, surfaces glabrous or sparsely hairy. |
Inflorescences | 20+-flowered, branched, ± capitate thyrses, 10–15 cm, hairy, sometimes purple-tipped stipitate-glandular. |
5+-flowered, densely crowded in 1–3 glomerulate, often flat-topped thyrses, 3.5–15(–20) cm, sparsely purple-tipped stipitate-glandular. |
Flowers | sepals erect, ovate; petals white, not spotted, ± obovate, clawed, 2–3.5 mm, ± equaling sepals; filaments linear, flattened; pistils 3+, connate to 1/2 their lengths; ovary 1/2+ inferior, appearing more superior in fruit. |
sepals ascending to spreading, ovate; petals white, not spotted, elliptic to linear, clawed, 1.8–3 mm, slightly longer than sepals; filaments linear, flattened; pistils connate to 1/2 their lengths; ovary inferior, appearing more superior in fruit. |
Capsules | reddish to purplish, valvate. |
purple, folliclelike. |
2n | = 20. |
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Micranthes texana |
Micranthes aprica |
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Phenology | Flowering late winter–spring. | Flowering summer. |
Habitat | Sandy flats, rocky, open, wooded areas, granite outcrops | Rocky alpine and snowbed meadows |
Elevation | 50-500 m (200-1600 ft) | 1700-4500 m (5600-14800 ft) |
Distribution |
AR; GA; KS; LA; MO; OK; TX |
CA; NV; OR
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Discussion | Specimens of Micranthes aprica from the Klamath region of California and Oregon are unusually robust, occur at unusually low elevations, and have usually pollen-sterile flowers (P. E. Elvander 1984). In the Steens Mountains of southwestern Oregon, specimens that are morphologically similar to M. rhomboidea from some Utah locations can be found. Although tentatively relegated to M. aprica, these populations need thorough study. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 8, p. 68. | FNA vol. 8, p. 69. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Saxifraga texana | Saxifraga aprica |
Name authority | (Buckley) Small: Fl. S.E. U.S., 501. 1903 , | (Greene) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 135. (1905) |
Web links |