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early saxifrage, early small-flower-saxifrage, saxifrage de virginie, Virginia saxifrage

saxifrage étoilée, starry saxifrage

Habit Plants solitary or in clumps, with bulbils on caudices. Plants tufted or mat-forming, with ± branched caudices or stolonlike rhizomes.
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 ± absent;

blade obovate to elliptic, 1–5 cm, ± fleshy, base cuneate, margins 1–3-toothed in distal 1/2, ciliate, surfaces hairy.

Inflorescences

30+-flowered, (flowers sometimes secund), very open, lax, ± flat-topped thyrses, 6–50 cm, proximally hairy, distally densely purple-tipped stipitate-glandular.

2–10-flowered, open, lax cymes, sometimes solitary flowers, (all or some flowers replaced with bulbils, bulbils sometimes absent), 5–20 cm, sparsely to moderately purple-tipped stipitate-glandular.

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 reflexed, narrowly elliptic to lanceolate;

petals white, each with 1–2 basal yellow spots, lanceolate, clawed, 3–8 mm (2 often slightly larger), longer than sepals;

filaments linear, flattened;

pistils connate 1/2+ their lengths;

ovary superior, (to 1/3 adnate to hypanthium).

Capsules

green to purplish, folliclelike.

green to purple, valvate.

2n

= 20 (+ 0–6 supernumeraries), 38.

= 28.

Micranthes virginiensis

Micranthes stellaris

Phenology Flowering spring. Flowering summer.
Habitat Rocky hillsides, cliffs and shaded rock outcrops, stream banks, wooded slopes Mossy tundra near streams, rocky, gravelly seepage areas
Elevation 0-1500 m (0-4900 ft) 0-500 m (0-1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
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
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
LB; NU; QC; Greenland; Europe
[BONAP county map]
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 stellaris is amphi-Atlantic. In Nunavut, it is known only from Baffin Island.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 61. FNA vol. 8, p. 57.
Parent taxa Saxifragaceae > Micranthes Saxifragaceae > Micranthes
Sibling taxa
M. apetala, M. aprica, M. bryophora, M. californica, M. calycina, M. careyana, M. caroliniana, M. eriophora, M. ferruginea, M. foliolosa, M. fragosa, M. gaspensis, M. gormanii, M. hieraciifolia, M. hitchcockiana, M. howellii, M. idahoensis, M. integrifolia, M. lyallii, M. marshallii, M. micranthidifolia, M. nelsoniana, M. nidifica, M. nivalis, M. nudicaulis, M. occidentalis, M. odontoloma, M. oregana, M. palmeri, M. pensylvanica, M. petiolaris, M. razshivinii, M. reflexa, M. rhomboidea, M. rufidula, M. spicata, M. stellaris, M. subapetala, M. tempestiva, M. tenuis, M. texana, M. tischii, M. tolmiei, M. unalaschcensis
M. apetala, M. aprica, M. bryophora, M. californica, M. calycina, M. careyana, M. caroliniana, M. eriophora, M. ferruginea, M. foliolosa, M. fragosa, M. gaspensis, M. gormanii, M. hieraciifolia, M. hitchcockiana, M. howellii, M. idahoensis, M. integrifolia, M. lyallii, M. marshallii, M. micranthidifolia, M. nelsoniana, M. nidifica, M. nivalis, M. nudicaulis, M. occidentalis, M. odontoloma, M. oregana, M. palmeri, M. pensylvanica, M. petiolaris, M. razshivinii, M. reflexa, M. rhomboidea, M. rufidula, M. spicata, M. subapetala, M. tempestiva, M. tenuis, M. texana, M. tischii, M. tolmiei, M. unalaschcensis, M. virginiensis
Synonyms Saxifraga virginiensis Saxifraga stellaris
Name authority (Michaux) Small: Fl. S.E. U.S., 501. 1903 , (Linnaeus) Galasso: Atti Soc. Ital. Sci. Nat. Mus. Civico Storia Nat. Milano 146: 231. (2005)
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