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Pacific mitrewort, threepart miterwort

coastal miterwort, oval-leaf mitrewort

Habit Plants not stoloniferous. Plants not stoloniferous or, rarely, stoloniferous.
Flowering stems

12–45 cm.

15–35(–40) cm.

Leaves

petiole 2.5–10 cm, subglabrous or short stipitate-glandular and long stipitate-glandular, longer hairs retrorse, white, tan, or brown;

blade cordate, cordate-ovate, or reniform, usually shorter than or sometimes ± as long as wide, 1.2–6 × 2–8 cm, margins shallowly 5- or 7-lobed, crenate, uniformly ciliate, apex of terminal lobe rounded to obtuse, surfaces short stipitate-glandular and sparsely long stipitate-glandular;

cauline leaves absent.

petiole 1.2–8(–11.3) cm, short stipitate-glandular and densely long stipitate-glandular, longer hairs spreading or retrorse, reddish brown;

blade cordate-ovate to cordate-oblong, longer than wide, 2.7–7 × 1.5–5.4 cm, margins shallowly 5-, 7- or 9-lobed, doubly crenate-dentate or dentate, glabrous or irregularly ciliate, apex of terminal lobe acute to obtuse, surfaces sparsely short stipitate-glandular and long stipitate-glandular to sparsely long stipitate-glandular along primary veins abaxially, long stipitate-glandular adaxially;

cauline leaves absent.

Inflorescences

1–3, closely 4–20-flowered, 1 flower per node, weakly secund or not secund, 12–45 cm, short stipitate-glandular and, sometimes, sparsely long stipitate-glandular proximally and distally.

1–3(–6), closely 20–60-flowered, 1(–2) flowers per node, not secund, 15–35(–40) cm, subglabrous or short stipitate-glandular and sparsely long stipitate-glandular proximally, short stipitate-glandular and, rarely, long stipitate-glandular distally.

Pedicels

0.3–1.5 mm, short stipitate-glandular.

1–2 mm, short stipitate-glandular.

Flowers

hypanthium campanulate, 1–1.5 × 1.5–2.5(–3) mm;

sepals erect or spreading, whitish or purple tinged, oblong to triangular-ovate, 0.8–1.5 × 1–1.3 mm;

petals white, sometimes pink or purple tinged, 3-lobed or, sometimes, unlobed, 1–3.5 mm, lobes lanceolate, lateral lobes ascending;

stamens 5, opposite sepals;

filaments white, 0.1–0.2 mm;

anthers 0.1–0.2 × 0.1–0.2 mm;

ovary ca. 1/2 inferior;

styles divergent, flattened, 0.1–0.2 mm;

stigmas unlobed.

hypanthium shallowly saucer-shaped, 0.8–1 × 2–3.5 mm;

sepals spreading to recurved, greenish, triangular, 0.7–1 × 0.9–1.9 mm;

petals greenish yellow, 3–9-lobed, 1.5–2 mm, lobes linear, lateral lobes spreading;

stamens 5, opposite sepals;

filaments white, 0.1–0.3 mm;

anthers 0.1–0.2 × 0.2–0.4 mm;

ovary nearly completely inferior;

styles divergent, flattened, 0.2–0.3 mm;

stigmas 2-lobed.

Seeds

dark reddish brown, 0.7–1 mm, pitted.

reddish purple or blackish, 0.8–1.1 mm, pitted.

2n

= 14.

= 14.

Mitella trifida

Mitella ovalis

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering Mar–Jul.
Habitat Deep forest, moist wooded and open slopes Moist woods, stream margins, wet banks
Elevation 300-2000 m (1000-6600 ft) 0-1500 m (0-4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; ID; MT; OR; WA; AB; BC
from FNA
CA; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
Discussion

Mitella trifida varies in flower size, petal-blade lobing, and pubescence. Plants with relatively small flowers and petal blades entire or shallowly trifid and often purplish have been named var. violacea. Plants matching this description occur in British Columbia, Montana, and Washington and appear to represent a minor morphological variant that does not warrant recognition.

The Gosiute Indians of Utah made an infusion from roots of Mitella trifida to treat colic (D. E. Moerman 1998).

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

Mitella ovalis occurs from Vancouver Island and extreme southwest mainland of British Columbia south to Marin County, California.

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

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 114. FNA vol. 8, p. 112.
Parent taxa Saxifragaceae > Mitella Saxifragaceae > Mitella
Sibling taxa
M. breweri, M. caulescens, M. diphylla, M. diversifolia, M. nuda, M. ovalis, M. pentandra, M. stauropetala
M. breweri, M. caulescens, M. diphylla, M. diversifolia, M. nuda, M. pentandra, M. stauropetala, M. trifida
Synonyms M. trifida var. violacea, Ozomelis anomola, Ozomelis micrantha, Ozomelis trifida Pectiantia ovalis
Name authority Graham: Edinburgh New Philos. J. 7: 185. 1829 , Greene: Pittonia 1: 32. 1887 ,
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