Micranthes tolmiei |
Micranthes hitchcockiana |
|
---|---|---|
alpine saxifrage, Tolmie's alpine saxifrage, Tolmie's saxifrage |
Hitchcock's saxifrage, Saddle Mountain saxifrage |
|
Habit | Plants mat-forming, (stems trailing, thin, basally slightly woody), with slender, woody caudices. | Plants solitary or in clumps, short-rhizomatous. |
Leaves | cauline, proximally crowded; petiole absent; blade elliptic-obovate, 0.8–1.5 cm, fleshy, base cuneate, margins entire, sometimes proximally sparsely long-ciliate, surfaces glabrous. |
basal; petiole often indistinct, flattened, 5–50 mm; blade elliptic to obovate, 4–12 cm, slightly fleshy, base cuneate, margins serrate to dentate, densely ciliate, surfaces densely tangled-hairy. |
Inflorescences | 2–10-flowered, lax cymes, sometimes solitary flowers, 3–12 cm, glabrous or purplish- or pink-tipped stipitate-glandular; (bracts 1–3, proximal). |
70+-flowered, open, lax, flat-topped thyrses, 15–35 cm, tangled, yellow-tipped stipitate-glandular. |
Flowers | sepals erect to spreading, ovate; petals white, not spotted, linear to oblanceolate, 2.5–5 mm, longer than sepals, short- or not clawed; filaments broadly club-shaped (± petaloid); pistils connate to 1/2 their lengths; ovary ± superior (to 1/4 adnate to hypanthium). |
sepals reflexed, elliptic to ovate; petals white, not spotted, elliptic, clawed, 2–5 mm, longer than sepals; filaments linear, flattened; pistils connate to 1/2 their lengths; ovary 1/2 inferior, appearing more superior in fruit. |
Capsules | green, purple mottled, valvate. |
greenish to reddish purple, folliclelike. |
2n | = 30. |
= 76. |
Micranthes tolmiei |
Micranthes hitchcockiana |
|
Phenology | Flowering summer. | Flowering late spring–summer. |
Habitat | Arctic and alpine tundra, fell-fields | Wet rocks and ledges on mountain-top balds |
Elevation | 500-4000 m (1600-13100 ft) | 600-1100 m (2000-3600 ft) |
Distribution |
AK; CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; BC
|
OR
|
Discussion | Unlike those of most Micranthes species, the leaves of M. tolmiei are proximally cauline and the ovules have two integuments. The seeds have a loose, winglike testa. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Of conservation concern. Micranthes hitchcockiana may have originated from hybridization between M. rufidula and M. oregana (P. E. Elvander 1984; W. E. Perkins 1978). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 8, p. 54. | FNA vol. 8, p. 70. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Saxifraga tolmiei, Saxifraga tolmiei var. ledifolia | Saxifraga hitchcockiana |
Name authority | (Torrey & A. Gray) Brouillet & Gornall: J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 1: 1022. 2007 , | (Elvander) Brouillet & Gornall: Novon 18: 138. 2008 , |
Web links |
|
|