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Michaux's saxifrage

bud saxifrage

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

basal;

petiole somewhat flattened, 2–6 cm;

blade oblanceolate, 2–12 cm, thin, basecuneate to ± attenuate, margins usually 15+-toothed (teeth large, lobelike), densely long glandular-ciliate, surfaces hairy.

± basal;

petiole absent;

blade linear to narrowly elliptic, 0.5–4 cm, fleshy, base cuneate, margins subentire, ciliate, surfaces hirsute.

Inflorescences

30+-flowered, very open, lax thyrses, (flowers rarely replaced by bulbils), 10–40 cm, densely tangled, purple-tipped stipitate-glandular; (bracts leaflike, gradually reduced distally).

usually 2–3+-flowered, open, lax thyrses, sometimes solitary flowers, (flowers terminal, proximal usually replaced by bulbils, sometimes bulbils absent), 2–25 cm, stipitate-glandular. (Pedicels reflexed.) Flowers: sepals reflexed, elliptic;

petals white, each with 2 basal yellow spots, triangular to broadly ovate, clawed, 3–5 mm, longer than sepals;

filaments linear, flattened;

pistils connate 1/2+ their lengths;

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

Flowers

slightly bilaterally symmetric;

sepals reflexed, oblong to elliptic;

petals white, 3 with 2 basal yellow spots, 2 without spots, oblanceolate to spatulate, clawed, 3–4.5 mm, longer than sepals;

filaments linear, flattened;

pistils connate 1/2+ their lengths;

ovary superior.

Capsules

green to yellow, sometimes purple tinged, valvate

green to yellow, purple tinged, valvate.

Micranthes petiolaris

Micranthes bryophora

Phenology Flowering late spring–early autumn. Flowering summer.
Habitat Wet ledges, boulderfields, and rocky slopes, usually in thin soil over rock Wet meadows, rocky ledges
Elevation 500-2100 m (1600-6900 ft) 1600-4500 m (5200-14800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
GA; KY; MD; NC; SC; TN; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; ID
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Micranthes petiolaris (Rafinesque) Brouillet & Gornall is an isonym.

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

Specimens of Micranthes bryophora from the disjunct populations in Idaho have been called Saxifraga bryophora var. tobiasiae; they appear to overlap in morphology with the California plants and are not distinguished here.

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

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 58. FNA vol. 8, p. 58.
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. 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. 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. 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 Hexaphoma petiolaris, Saxifraga michauxii, Saxifraga petiolaris Saxifraga bryophora, Saxifraga bryophora var. tobiasiae
Name authority (Rafinesque) Bush: Amer. Midl. Naturalist 11: 225. 1928 , (A. Gray) Brouillet & Gornall: J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 1: 1020. (2007)
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