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Alaska saxifrage, rusty hair saxifrage, rusty saxifrage

diamond-leaf saxifrage

Habit Plants solitary or tufted, with bulbils on caudices, short-rhizomatous. Plants solitary or tufted, with bulbils on caudices.
Leaves

basal;

petiole indistinct, flattened, to 2 cm;

blade spatulate to oblanceolate, 1–8(–10) cm, ± fleshy, base cuneate, margins irregularly serrate (usually with fewer than 12 coarse teeth), ciliate, surfaces hairy.

basal;

petiole flattened, 1–3 cm;

blade broadly ovate to triangular, 1–3 cm, fleshy, base attenuate, margins coarsely serrate, ciliate, surfaces sparsely to moderately tangled, reddish brown-hairy abaxially, glabrous adaxially.

Inflorescences

20–30+-flowered, (flowers sometimes replaced ± completely by bulbils, or bulbils sometimes absent), open, lax thyrses, 10–40 cm, moderately to ± densely purple stipitate-glandular; (bracts reduced).

(5–)10–40-flowered, congested, ± glomerate or capitate thyrses, 4–20 cm, usually densely yellow- to cream-tipped stipitate-glandular.

Flowers

± bilaterally symmetric;

sepals reflexed, ovate to oblong;

petals white, 3 with 2 basal yellow spots, 2 without spots, elliptic to oblanceolate, clawed, 3–5 mm, longer than sepals;

filaments linear, flattened;

pistils connate 1/2+ their lengths;

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

sepals ascending, ovate;

petals white, not spotted, oblong to elliptic, clawed, 2–4 mm, 1.5+ times as long as sepals;

filaments linear, flattened;

pistils connate to 1/2 their lengths;

ovary inferior, appearing more superior in fruit.

Capsules

green or yellow, sometimes purple tinged, or partly purple, valvate.

purple, folliclelike.

2n

= 20.

= 20, 38, 40, 56.

Micranthes ferruginea

Micranthes rhomboidea

Phenology Flowering summer–early autumn. Flowering late spring–summer.
Habitat Wet ledges, seepage slopes, stream banks Subalpine and alpine meadows
Elevation 10-2700 m (0-8900 ft) 1500-4600 m (4900-15100 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; ID; MT; OR; WA; WY; AB; BC; NT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CO; ID; MT; NM; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Plants with bulbils replacing flowers are more common in the southern part (southern Alberta and British Columbia southwards) of the range of Micranthes ferruginea and have been called Saxifraga ferruginea var. macounii.

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

Micranthes rhomboidea is somewhat polymorphic; variants have been given taxonomic designations with little consistency. The chromosome number variation needs thorough study, as in other species of Micranthes, because no obvious correlations with morphology or geographic distribution are known (B. L. Bethers 1973). Reports from Canada (Alberta, Saskatchewan) were rejected as misidentifications of M. occidentalis.

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

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 58. FNA vol. 8, p. 69.
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. 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. virginiensis
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. rufidula, M. spicata, M. stellaris, M. subapetala, M. tempestiva, M. tenuis, M. texana, M. tischii, M. tolmiei, M. unalaschcensis, M. virginiensis
Synonyms Saxifraga ferruginea, Saxifraga ferruginea var. macounii, Saxifraga ferruginea var. newcombei, Saxifraga ferruginea var. vreelandii, Saxifraga newcombei Saxifraga rhomboidea, Saxifraga austrina, Saxifraga rhomboidea var. austrina, Saxifraga rhomboidea var. franciscana
Name authority (Graham) Brouillet & Gornall: J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 1: 1020. 2007 , (Greene) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 136. 1905 ,
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