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Olympic saxifrage, tisch's saxifrage

Habit Plants solitary or tufted, short, thick-rhizomatous. Plants solitary or in groups, with bulbils on caudices.
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, 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

15+-flowered, congested, spikelike thyrses, 15–50(–70) cm, tangled, pink- to 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 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 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, purplish tinged, ± folliclelike, (basally connate).

purplish, folliclelike.

Micranthes spicata

Micranthes tischii

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer.
Habitat Wet tundra, heaths, moist, rocky areas, streamsides Wet, cool, shaded, thin-soil ledges and rock crevices
Elevation 0-1700 m (0-5600 ft) 1300-2400 m (4300-7900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; YT
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
WA; BC
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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 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. 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. tolmiei, M. unalaschcensis, M. virginiensis
Synonyms Saxifraga spicata Saxifraga tischii
Name authority (D. Don) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 146. (1905) (Skelly) Brouillet & Gornall: J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 1: 1021. 2007 ,
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