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saxifrage étoilée, starry saxifrage

Habit Plants tufted or mat-forming, with ± branched caudices or stolonlike rhizomes. Plants solitary or tufted, short, thick-rhizomatous.
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 rounded, 4–15 cm;

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

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.

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

Capsules

green to purple, valvate.

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

2n

= 28.

Micranthes stellaris

Micranthes spicata

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer.
Habitat Mossy tundra near streams, rocky, gravelly seepage areas Wet tundra, heaths, moist, rocky areas, streamsides
Elevation 0-500 m (0-1600 ft) 0-1700 m (0-5600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
LB; NU; QC; Greenland; Europe
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; YT
[BONAP county map]
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.)

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 57. FNA vol. 8, p. 57.
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. spicata, 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. stellaris, M. subapetala, M. tempestiva, M. tenuis, M. texana, M. tischii, M. tolmiei, M. unalaschcensis, M. virginiensis
Synonyms Saxifraga stellaris Saxifraga spicata
Name authority (Linnaeus) Galasso: Atti Soc. Ital. Sci. Nat. Mus. Civico Storia Nat. Milano 146: 231. (2005) (D. Don) Small: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 146. (1905)
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