Minuartia drummondii
Minuartia obtusiloba
Drummond's stitchwort
alpine sandwort, alpine stitchwort, arctic sandwort, twin-flower sandwort
filiform.
stout, woody.
erect to ascending, green, 5–20 cm, stipitate-glandular, often densely so, internodes of all stems 1–3 times as long as leaves.
erect, green, 1–12 cm, trailing stems 2–20+ cm, stipitate-glandular, internodes of flowering stems 1–6 times as long as leaves.
overlapping proximally, perfoliate proximally, with ± loose, scarious to herbaceous sheath 0.5–1 mm;
blade green, flat, 1-veined, oblanceolate to cuneate (proximal) to oblong-lanceolate to ovate (remaining cauline), 5–30(–35) × 2–4 mm, flexuous, margins not thickened, ± scarious, smooth, apex green to purple, obtuse to abruptly pointed, dull, glabrous;
axillary leaves absent.
tightly overlapping (vegetative), variably spaced (cauline), usually connate proximally, with tight, scarious to herbaceous sheath 0.3–1.5 mm;
blade straight to outwardly curved, green, 3-angled, 3-veined abaxially, midrib prominent, lateral veins weak in distal 1/3, needlelike to subulate, 1–8 × 0.4–1 mm, flexuous, margins not thickened, herbaceous, sometimes finely ciliate, apex green, rounded to acute, often apiculate, somewhat navicular, shiny, glabrous;
axillary leaves present among vegetative leaves.
7–12-flowered, open cymes, or rarely solitary, terminal;
bracts ± lanceolate, herbaceous, sometimes scarious-margined proximally.
solitary flowers, terminal, or occasionally in 2–3-flowered, open cymes;
bracts subulate, herbaceous.
reflexed in fruit, 0.5–2.5 cm, stipitate-glandular.
0.3–1.5 cm, stipitate-glandular.
hypanthium disc-shaped;
sepals obscurely veined, ovate to broadly elliptic (herbaceous portion ovate to broadly elliptic), 3–6 mm, to 7 mm in fruit, apex green or purple, acute to acuminate, not hooded, stipitate-glandular;
petals obovate to oblanceolate, 2–2.5 times as long as sepals, apex rounded, broadly notched.
hypanthium cup-shaped;
sepals prominently 3-veined proximally, narrowly ovate to oblong (herbaceous portion lanceolate to oblong), 2.9–6.5 mm, not enlarging in fruit, apex often purple, narrowly rounded, hooded;
petals ovate to spatulate, 1.2–2 times as long as sepals, apex rounded, entire.
sessile, broadly ellipsoid, 6–7.5 mm, equaling or longer than sepals.
narrowly ellipsoid, 3.5–6 mm, equaling sepals.
dark brown to blackish, orbiculate with radicle prolonged into beak, only slightly compressed, 0.7–0.8 mm, echinate with rounded tubercles.
reddish tan, suborbiculate with radicle prolonged into beak, somewhat compressed, 0.6–0.7 mm, obscurely sculptured (50x).
= 26, ca. 52, 78.
Minuartia drummondii
Minuartia obtusiloba
Minuartia drummondii is easily recognized by the proportionally large corollas (petals to three times as long as sepals) and pedicels reflexing in fruit.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Minuartia obtusiloba, an amphi-Beringian species, sometimes forms hybrid swarms with M. arctica. Specimens labeled Arenaria sajanensis Willdenow ex Schlechtendal from western North America, sometimes referred to M. biflora (e.g., H. J. Scoggan 1978–1979, part 3), are likely to be M. obtusiloba.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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