Micranthes bryophora
Micranthes bryophora is a species of flowering plant known by the common name bud saxifrage.[1] It is native to the western United States, where its two varieties are geographically separated. The more common var. bryophora is endemic to the mountains of California, and the rare var. tobiasiae is known only from the Payette National Forest of western Idaho.[2][3]
Micranthes bryophora | |
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Micranthes bryophora var. bryophora | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Saxifragales |
Family: | Saxifragaceae |
Genus: | Micranthes |
Species: | M. bryophora |
Binomial name | |
Micranthes bryophora (A.Gray) Brouillet & Gornall | |
Synonyms | |
Saxifraga bryophora A.Gray |
This plant is a perennial herb producing a basal rosette of fleshy, hairy, lance-shaped leaves up to 4 centimeters long. The inflorescence arises on a peduncle up to 25 centimeters tall with widely spaced flowers, each at the tip of a pedicel. The inflorescence also contains reproductive bulblets. Each flower has five spade-shaped petals which are white with two golden spots near the base. At the center are ten stamens tipped with red anthers.
References
- USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Saxifraga bryophora". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
- Mancuso, M. Monitoring Tobias' saxifrage (Saxifraga bryophora var. tobiasiae) on the Payette National Forest: First year results. Archived 2011-07-18 at the Wayback Machine Idaho Department of Fish & Game, December 2001.
- USDA Forest Service Botany in the News