Micranthes stellaris |
Micranthes careyana |
|
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saxifrage étoilée, starry saxifrage |
Carey's saxifrage |
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Habit | Plants tufted or mat-forming, with ± branched caudices or stolonlike rhizomes. | Plants often mat-forming, with extensive rhizomes. |
Leaves | basal; petiole ± absent; blade obovate to elliptic, 1–5 cm, ± fleshy, base cuneate, margins 1–3-toothed in distal 1/2, ciliate, surfaces hairy. |
basal; petiole flattened, 1–7 cm; blade rounded or broadly ovate to oblong, 1–7 cm, thin, base truncate, margins coarsely serrate to dentate, sparsely ciliate, surfaces sparsely to ± densely tangled, reddish brown-hairy. |
Inflorescences | 2–10-flowered, open, lax cymes, sometimes solitary flowers, (all or some flowers replaced with bulbils, bulbils sometimes absent), 5–20 cm, sparsely to moderately purple-tipped stipitate-glandular. |
40+-flowered, lax, open thyrses, 10–40(–50) cm, purple-tipped stipitate-glandular. |
Flowers | sepals reflexed, narrowly elliptic to lanceolate; petals white, each with 1–2 basal yellow spots, lanceolate, clawed, 3–8 mm (2 often slightly larger), longer than sepals; filaments linear, flattened; pistils connate 1/2+ their lengths; ovary superior, (to 1/3 adnate to hypanthium). |
sepals spreading, broadly ovate; petals white, sometimes some with 2 faint, basal yellow spots (sometimes fading upon drying), narrowly ovate to elliptic, clawed, 2–4(–5) mm, 2+ times as long as sepals; filaments linear, flattened; pistils distinct almost to base; ovary superior, (to 1/3 adnate to hypanthium). |
Capsules | green to purple, valvate. |
green, ± purple tinged, folliclelike. |
2n | = 28. |
|
Micranthes stellaris |
Micranthes careyana |
|
Phenology | Flowering summer. | Flowering spring–early summer. |
Habitat | Mossy tundra near streams, rocky, gravelly seepage areas | Moist soil at bases of vertical or overhanging rock outcrops, seeps |
Elevation | 0-500 m (0-1600 ft) | 500-1600 m (1600-5200 ft) |
Distribution |
LB; NU; QC; Greenland; Europe |
AL; GA; KY; NC; TN; VA; WV |
Discussion | Micranthes stellaris is amphi-Atlantic. In Nunavut, it is known only from Baffin Island. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Micranthes careyana is very similar to M. caroliniana; both are in need of study. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 8, p. 57. | FNA vol. 8, p. 61. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Saxifraga stellaris | Saxifraga careyana, Saxifraga tennesseensis |
Name authority | (Linnaeus) Galasso: Atti Soc. Ital. Sci. Nat. Mus. Civico Storia Nat. Milano 146: 231. (2005) | (A. Gray) Small: Fl. S.E. U.S., 501. 1903 , |
Web links |