Micranthes lyallii |
Micranthes tischii |
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Lyall's saxifrage, red-stem saxifrage |
Olympic saxifrage, tisch's saxifrage |
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Habit | Plants solitary or sometimes mat-forming, rhizomatous. | Plants solitary or in groups, with bulbils on caudices. |
Leaves | basal; petiole rounded to flattened, 2–10 cm; blade spatulate to obovate, 0.8–8 cm, thin, base cuneate to slightly attenuate, margins serrate to dentate, eciliate or sparsely glandular-ciliate, surfaces abaxially glabrous, adaxially sparsely brown-hairy. |
basal; petiole flattened, 0.4–2 cm; blade ovate to elliptic, 0.5–2.5 cm, fleshy, base attenuate, margins serrate (7–16-toothed), ciliate, surfaces reddish brown-tomentose abaxially, glabrous or rarely glabrate adaxially. |
Inflorescences | usually 10–15-flowered, lax, cylindric thyrses, (red), (4–)7–30 cm, sparsely purple-tipped stipitate-glandular. |
(3–)5–15(–18)-flowered, open, flat-topped thyrses or cymes, 2–7 cm, purple-tipped stipitate-glandular. |
Flowers | sepals reflexed, oblong to elliptic; petals white, each with 2 basal yellowish green spots, elliptic to round, clawed, 2–5.5 mm, longer than sepals; filaments club-shaped, (to 6 mm); pistils connate 1/2+ their lengths; ovary superior, (to 1/3 adnate to hypanthium). |
sepals spreading to reflexed, ovate; petals greenish, often purple-margined, not spotted, lanceolate to obovate, not clawed, 1.2–2(–2.5) mm, equaling to longer than sepals; filaments linear, flattened; pistils distinct almost to base; ovary superior, (to 1/3 adnate to hypanthium). |
Capsules | green to yellow, distal 1/2 purple, ± folliclelike, (basally connate). |
purplish, folliclelike. |
2n | = ca. 56, 58. |
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Micranthes lyallii |
Micranthes tischii |
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Phenology | Flowering summer–early autumn. | Flowering summer. |
Habitat | Wet, rocky meadows, mountain to alpine streamsides | Wet, cool, shaded, thin-soil ledges and rock crevices |
Elevation | 800-4000 m (2600-13100 ft) | 1300-2400 m (4300-7900 ft) |
Distribution |
AK; ID; MT; WA; AB; BC; NT; YT
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WA; BC |
Discussion | Although they have nearly disjunct sets of populations, the subspecies of Micranthes lyallii are difficult to distinguish from each other. The more northern plants tend to be larger with wider leaves and often have been called Saxifraga lyallii subsp. or var. hultenii. Apparent hybrids with M. odontoloma occur in Alberta, British Columbia, and northern Idaho, and near Glacier National Park, Montana. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Of conservation concern. Micranthes tischii is known only from the Olympic Peninsula and from inland, mountainous Vancouver Island, British Columbia (Ogilvie & Beguin 798911, V). Closely related to M. rufidula, M. tischii appears to be highly specialized for its habitat. The unusual persistent, green, not clawed (versus deciduous, white, clawed) petals readily distinguish the two species. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 8, p. 57. | FNA vol. 8, p. 63. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Saxifraga lyallii, Saxifraga lyallii subsp. hultenii, Saxifraga lyallii var. hultenii | Saxifraga tischii |
Name authority | (Engler) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 143. 1905 , | (Skelly) Brouillet & Gornall: J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 1: 1021. 2007 , |
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