Micranthes virginiensis |
Micranthes micranthidifolia |
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early saxifrage, early small-flower-saxifrage, saxifrage de virginie, Virginia saxifrage |
branch-lettuce, lettuceleaf saxifrage |
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Habit | Plants solitary or in clumps, with bulbils on caudices. | Plants solitary or in groups, with bulbils on caudices. |
Leaves | basal; petiole flattened, 1–9 cm; blade ovate to elliptic, 2–8 cm, ± fleshy, base attenuate, margins irregularly crenate to serrate, ciliate, surfaces sparsely to ± densely stipitate-glandular and tangled, reddish brown-hairy, adaxially glabrescent. |
basal; petiole ± indistinct, (broad), flattened, 3–15 cm; blade lanceolate to oblanceolate, 4–35 cm, thin, base attenuate, margins irregularly serrate to dentate, ciliate, surfaces sparsely hairy. |
Inflorescences | 30+-flowered, (flowers sometimes secund), very open, lax, ± flat-topped thyrses, 6–50 cm, proximally hairy, distally densely purple-tipped stipitate-glandular. |
(30–)50+–flowered, very open, lax thyrses, 30–75 cm, pink- to purplish-tipped stipitate-glandular; (bracts gradually smaller distally). |
Flowers | sepals erect to ascending (even in fruit), ovate to triangular; petals white, not spotted, broadly oblong to elliptic, not or rarely slightly clawed, 3–6 mm, 2+ times as long as sepals; filaments linear, flattened; pistils distinct almost to base; ovary ± superior, (to 1/3 adnate hypanthium). |
sepals strongly reflexed, oblong; petals white, with 2 basal yellow spots that sometimes appear as 1 (sometimes faded in dried material), ± elliptic to spatulate, clawed, 2–3 mm, longer than sepals; filaments strongly club-shaped; pistils distinct almost to base; ovary superior, (to 1/3 adnate to hypanthium). |
Capsules | green to purplish, folliclelike. |
green, sometimes purplish, folliclelike. |
2n | = 20 (+ 0–6 supernumeraries), 38. |
= 22. |
Micranthes virginiensis |
Micranthes micranthidifolia |
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Phenology | Flowering spring. | Flowering spring. |
Habitat | Rocky hillsides, cliffs and shaded rock outcrops, stream banks, wooded slopes | Rocky seepage slopes, stream banks |
Elevation | 0-1500 m (0-4900 ft) | 400-2100 m (1300-6900 ft) |
Distribution |
AL; AR; CT; DC; GA; IL; IN; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SC; TN; VA; VT; WV; MB; NB; ON; QC
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GA; KY; MD; NC; PA; SC; VA; WV
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Discussion | Also reported for Micranthes virginiensis is 2n = 28; D. E. Soltis (1983) documented zero to six supernumerary chromosomes in this species and speculated that this report may have included eight supernumeraries. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Micranthes micranthidifolia was formerly gathered by local people in the southern Appalachians as a spring “green” (hence the common name, “branch” being dialect for a small stream); it is still occasionally seen in local grocery stores. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 8, p. 61. | FNA vol. 8, p. 60. |
Parent taxa | Saxifragaceae > Micranthes | Saxifragaceae > Micranthes |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Saxifraga virginiensis | Robertsonia micranthidifolia, Aulaxis micranthidifolia, Saxifraga micranthidifolia |
Name authority | (Michaux) Small: Fl. S.E. U.S., 501. 1903 , | (Haworth) Small: Fl. S.E. U.S., 501, 1331. 1903 , |
Web links |