The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

Idaho saxifrage, Marshall's saxifrage

Habit Plants solitary or tufted, short, thick-rhizomatous. Plants in groups or sometimes mat-forming, rhizomatous.
Leaves

basal;

petiole rounded, 4–15 cm;

blade round, ovate, or reniform, 3–15 cm, thin, base cordate, margins serrate to dentate, ciliate, surfaces hairy to glabrate.

basal;

petiole flattened, 3–15 cm;

blade ovate, 1–5 cm, ± fleshy, base attenuate, margins shallowly crenate-serrate (teeth ca. 2 mm), eciliate, surfaces sparsely tangled, reddish brown-hairy abaxially, glabrate adaxially.

Inflorescences

15+-flowered, congested, spikelike thyrses, 15–50(–70) cm, tangled, pink- to purple-tipped stipitate-glandular.

15–50+-flowered, open, lax thyrses, 20–40 cm, purple-tipped stipitate-glandular.

Flowers

sepals reflexed, oblong to ovate;

petals cream to yellowish, not spotted, oblong, not clawed, 3–4.5 mm, longer than sepals;

filaments narrowly club-shaped;

pistils connate at least 1/2 their lengths;

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

sepals reflexed, lanceolate to oblong;

petals white, with 2 basal yellow spots (often faded when dried), ovate, clawed, 1.5–4.5 mm, longer than sepals;

filaments strongly club-shaped, sometimes petaloid (short-clawed, equaling petals);

pistils distinct almost to base;

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

Capsules

green, purplish tinged, ± folliclelike, (basally connate).

greenish to reddish purple, folliclelike.

2n

= 20.

Micranthes spicata

Micranthes marshallii

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering spring.
Habitat Wet tundra, heaths, moist, rocky areas, streamsides Deeply shaded watercourses, stream banks, seeps
Elevation 0-1700 m (0-5600 ft) 100-1000 m (300-3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; YT
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 8, p. 57. FNA vol. 8, p. 63.
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. petiolaris, M. razshivinii, M. reflexa, M. rhomboidea, M. rufidula, 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. 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 spicata Saxifraga marshallii
Name authority (D. Don) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 146. (1905) (Greene) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 145. 1905 ,
Web links