Micranthes texana |
Micranthes nivalis |
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Texas saxifrage |
alpine saxifrage, saxifrage des neiges, snow saxifrage |
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Habit | Plants solitary or in clumps, with bulbils on caudices. | Plants tufted, with bulbils on caudices. |
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, (0.4–)1–4 cm; blade ovate to ± round, sometimes elliptic or oblong, (0.5–)1–4 cm, thick, coriaceous, base attenuate to ± truncate, margins serrate to dentate on distal 2/3 (sometimes more), proximally ciliate, surfaces ± densely tangled, reddish brown-hairy abaxially, glabrous or glabrate adaxially. |
Inflorescences | 20+-flowered, branched, ± capitate thyrses, 10–15 cm, hairy, sometimes purple-tipped stipitate-glandular. |
(5–)10–40-flowered, congested, almost capitate thyrses, (3–)7–20 cm, ± densely 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 erect, spreading in fruit, ovate to deltate; petals white, sometimes pink tinged, not spotted, oblong to ovate, clawed, 2–4 mm, ± equaling sepals; filaments linear, flattened; pistils connate ca. 1/2 their lengths; ovary 1/2 inferior, appearing more superior in fruit. |
Capsules | reddish to purplish, valvate. |
green, becoming reddish to purplish, folliclelike. |
2n | = 60. |
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Micranthes texana |
Micranthes nivalis |
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Phenology | Flowering late winter–spring. | Flowering summer. |
Habitat | Sandy flats, rocky, open, wooded areas, granite outcrops | Open, mossy tundra, rocky ridges, or shady ledges |
Elevation | 50-500 m (200-1600 ft) | 0-1500 m (0-4900 ft) |
Distribution |
AR; GA; KS; LA; MO; OK; TX |
AK; AB; BC; LB; NT; NU; QC; YT; Greenland; Europe; Asia (Himalayas, Kamchatka, Siberia) |
Discussion | Micranthes nivalis is closely related to M. tenuis. All records of M. nivalis in the United States (except Alaska) appear to be misapplied to or misidentifications of M. aprica, M. occidentalis, or M. rhomboidea. Occasional, dwarfed specimens of M. hieraciifolia and M. subapetala are similarly mislabelled. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 8, p. 68. | FNA vol. 8, p. 64. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Saxifraga texana | Saxifraga nivalis |
Name authority | (Buckley) Small: Fl. S.E. U.S., 501. 1903 , | (Linnaeus) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 136. 1905 , |
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