Micranthes tolmiei |
Micranthes howellii |
|
---|---|---|
alpine saxifrage, Tolmie's alpine saxifrage, Tolmie's saxifrage |
Howell's saxifrage |
|
Habit | Plants mat-forming, (stems trailing, thin, basally slightly woody), with slender, woody caudices. | Plants solitary or in groups, with bulbils on caudices. |
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 flattened, 1–4 cm; blade oblong to narrowly ovate, 1–2(–3) cm, ± fleshy, base attenuate, margins sharply serrate, eciliate, surfaces sparsely tangled, reddish brown-hairy abaxially, glabrous adaxially. |
Inflorescences | 2–10-flowered, lax cymes, sometimes solitary flowers, 3–12 cm, glabrous or purplish- or pink-tipped stipitate-glandular; (bracts 1–3, proximal). |
5–10(–20)-flowered, very open, lax, ± flat-topped cymes or thyrses, 5–10(–20) cm, glabrate to sparsely purple-tipped stipitate-glandular; (bracts glabrous). |
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 strongly reflexed, elliptic, (surfaces glabrous); petals white, not spotted, obovate to elliptic, clawed, 2.5–4.5 mm, longer than sepals; filaments linear, flattened; pistils distinct almost to base; ovary ± superior. |
Capsules | green, purple mottled, valvate. |
purple, valvate. |
2n | = 30. |
|
Micranthes tolmiei |
Micranthes howellii |
|
Phenology | Flowering summer. | Flowering early spring–early summer. |
Habitat | Arctic and alpine tundra, fell-fields | Wet, rocky ledges and crevices |
Elevation | 500-4000 m (1600-13100 ft) | 0-900 m (0-3000 ft) |
Distribution |
AK; CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; BC
|
CA; 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.) |
|
Source | FNA vol. 8, p. 54. | FNA vol. 8, p. 63. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Saxifraga tolmiei, Saxifraga tolmiei var. ledifolia | Saxifraga howellii |
Name authority | (Torrey & A. Gray) Brouillet & Gornall: J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 1: 1022. 2007 , | (Greene) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 140. (1905) |
Web links |
|