Mitella trifida
Mitella stauropetala
Pacific mitrewort, threepart miterwort
cross-shape mitrewort, side-flower mitrewort, smallflower miterwort
12–45 cm.
10–55 cm.
petiole 2.5–10 cm, subglabrous or short stipitate-glandular and long stipitate-glandular, longer hairs retrorse, white, tan, or brown;
blade cordate, cordate-ovate, or reniform, usually shorter than or sometimes ± as long as wide, 1.2–6 × 2–8 cm, margins shallowly 5- or 7-lobed, crenate, uniformly ciliate, apex of terminal lobe rounded to obtuse, surfaces short stipitate-glandular and sparsely long stipitate-glandular;
cauline leaves absent.
petiole 2–15 cm, short stipitate-glandular and long stipitate-glandular, longer hairs retrorse or, sometimes, spreading, white, tan, or brown;
blade cordate or reniform, shorter than or sometimes ± as long as wide, (1.5–)2.5–10 × 2–8(–12) cm, margins 5- or 7-lobed, singly or doubly crenate, uniformly ciliate, apex of terminal lobe rounded to obtuse, surfaces glabrous or short stipitate-glandular and sparsely long stipitate-glandular;
cauline leaves absent.
1–3, closely 4–20-flowered, 1 flower per node, weakly secund or not secund, 12–45 cm, short stipitate-glandular and, sometimes, sparsely long stipitate-glandular proximally and distally.
1–3(–6), closely 10–45-flowered, 1 flower per node, strongly secund, 10–55 cm, short stipitate-glandular and sparsely long stipitate-glandular proximally and distally.
0.3–1.5 mm, short stipitate-glandular.
0.5–1.5 mm, short stipitate-glandular.
hypanthium campanulate, 1–1.5 × 1.5–2.5(–3) mm;
sepals erect or spreading, whitish or purple tinged, oblong to triangular-ovate, 0.8–1.5 × 1–1.3 mm;
petals white, sometimes pink or purple tinged, 3-lobed or, sometimes, unlobed, 1–3.5 mm, lobes lanceolate, lateral lobes ascending;
stamens 5, opposite sepals;
filaments white, 0.1–0.2 mm;
anthers 0.1–0.2 × 0.1–0.2 mm;
ovary ca. 1/2 inferior;
styles divergent, flattened, 0.1–0.2 mm;
stigmas unlobed.
hypanthium turbinate-campanulate, 1.4–2.7 × 1.5–2.5(–3) mm;
sepals erect or with tips spreading, greenish white to white, sometimes purple-tinged, oblong, oblong-obovate, or widely ovate, 1–2.2 × 0.7–1.2 mm;
petals white, sometimes purple-tinged, 3-lobed or, sometimes, unlobed, 1.5–4 mm, lobes linear to lanceolate, lateral lobes ascending or spreading;
stamens 5, opposite sepals;
filaments white, 0.1–0.2 mm;
anthers 0.3–0.5 × 0.2–0.3 mm;
ovary ca. 2/3–3/4 inferior;
styles divergent, flattened, 0.1–0.2 mm;
stigmas unlobed.
dark reddish brown, 0.7–1 mm, pitted.
dark reddish brown to blackish, 0.8–1.2 mm, pitted.
= 14.
= 14.
Mitella trifida
Mitella stauropetala
Mitella trifida varies in flower size, petal-blade lobing, and pubescence. Plants with relatively small flowers and petal blades entire or shallowly trifid and often purplish have been named var. violacea. Plants matching this description occur in British Columbia, Montana, and Washington and appear to represent a minor morphological variant that does not warrant recognition.
The Gosiute Indians of Utah made an infusion from roots of Mitella trifida to treat colic (D. E. Moerman 1998).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Two varieties of Mitella stauropetala have been recognized. Plants from Oregon and Washington have been referred to var. stauropetala, characterized by hypanthium plus sepals often over 3 mm and petal blades with linear lobes. In northern Colorado, southeastern Idaho, eastern Utah, and Wyoming, var. stauropetala is replaced by var. stenopetala, with hypanthium plus sepals rarely over 3 mm and petal blades less deeply trifid (sometimes entire) and with broader lateral lobes. Variety stenopetala is morphologically similar in many respects to M. trifida. Mitella trifida and M. stauropetala require study to determine if plants referred to var. stenopetala are the result of hybridization or integradation between the two species.
D. E. Soltis and P. S. Soltis (1986) found morphologic and allozymic evidence of fertile intergeneric hybrids between Mitella stauropetala and Conimitella williamsii in Wyoming. Data from cpDNA analysis suggest that C. williamsii is derived from within the M. diversifolia–M. stauropetala–M. trifida alliance (D. E. Soltis et al. 1990).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
CA
OR
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
SW CO Wildflowers
