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Howell's saxifrage

tiny swamp saxifrage, western swamp saxifrage

Habit Plants solitary or in groups, with bulbils on caudices. Plants solitary or in clusters, with bulbils on caudices, or short-rhizomatous.
Leaves

basal;

petiole flattened, 1–4 cm;

blade oblong to narrowly ovate, 1–2(–3) cm, ± fleshy, base attenuate, margins sharply serrate, eciliate, surfaces sparsely tangled, reddish brown-hairy abaxially, glabrous adaxially.

basal;

petiole flattened, 0.5–3 cm;

blade ± ovate, 2–5 cm, ± fleshy, base attenuate, margins entire or crenulate, eciliate, surfaces hairy.

Inflorescences

5–10(–20)-flowered, very open, lax, ± flat-topped cymes or thyrses, 5–10(–20) cm, glabrate to sparsely purple-tipped stipitate-glandular; (bracts glabrous).

10–25-flowered, congested, glomerate thyrses, 4–15 cm, pink- to purple-tipped stipitate-glandular (hairs uniseriate).

Flowers

sepals strongly reflexed, elliptic, (surfaces glabrous);

petals white, not spotted, obovate to elliptic, clawed, 2.5–4.5 mm, longer than sepals;

filaments linear, flattened;

pistils distinct almost to base;

ovary ± superior.

sepals erect to ascending, ovate;

petals absent, sometimes 1–5, white to greenish white, not spotted, linear to oblong, clawed, 1–2 mm, much shorter than sepals;

filaments linear, flattened;

pistils connate to 1/2 their lengths;

ovary 1/2+ inferior.

Capsules

purple, valvate.

reddish or purplish, folliclelike.

2n

= 38.

Micranthes howellii

Micranthes apetala

Phenology Flowering early spring–early summer. Flowering early spring–summer.
Habitat Wet, rocky ledges and crevices Vernally moist meadows, wet depressions on mountain slopes
Elevation 0-900 m (0-3000 ft) 600-2800 m (2000-9200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; MT; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 8, p. 63. FNA vol. 8, p. 68.
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. 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. 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. virginiensis
Synonyms Saxifraga howellii Saxifraga apetala, Saxifraga integrifolia var. apetala
Name authority (Greene) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 140. (1905) (Piper) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 135. 1905 ,
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