Saxifraga hirculus

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 1: 402. 1753 ,.

Common names: Yellow marsh saxifrage saxifrage oeil-de-bouc
Synonyms: Hirculus prorepens (Fischer ex Sternberg) Á. Löve & D. Löve Leptasea hirculus (Linnaeus) Small Saxifraga hirculus subsp. coloradensis Hedberg Saxifraga hirculus subsp. compacta Hedberg Saxifraga hirculus subsp. propinqua (R. Brown) Á. Löve & D. Löve Saxifraga hirculus var. propinqua (R. Brown) Simmons
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 8. Treatment on page 138. Mentioned on page 135.
Revision as of 22:26, 16 December 2019 by FNA>Volume Importer

Plants loosely tufted, not stoloniferous or sometimes shortly so, rhizomatous, caudex present or not. Leaves basal and cauline, (distal clasping); petiole absent on distal leaves, otherwise ± flattened, 3–20(–35) mm; blade linear or linear-oblanceolate to spatulate, unlobed, (5–)10–30 mm, thin to slightly fleshy, margins entire, eciliate or sparsely reddish brown-ciliate, (with apical nonsecreting hydathode), apex acuminate or acute, surfaces glabrous or sparsely reddish brown-villous. Inflorescences 2(–4)-flowered cymes, sometimes solitary flowers, (flowers initially nodding), 4–30(–35) cm, sparsely to ± densely reddish brown-villous; bracts sessile. Flowers: sepals ascending to spreading, reflexed in fruit, (sometimes purplish), triangular, margins reddish brown-ciliate, surfaces glabrous (rarely reddish brown-hairy); petals yellow, often drying cream, often proximally orange-spotted, elliptic to oblong or obovate, 6–18 mm, 2+ times longer than sepals; ovary superior. 2n = 16, 24, 32.


Phenology: Flowering summer.
Habitat: Wet, usually mossy, arctic or alpine tundra, wet alpine meadows
Elevation: 0-4000 m

Distribution

Loading map...
Created with Raphaël 2.2.0
V8 270-distribution-map.gif

Greenland, B.C., Man., N.W.T., Nunavut, Ont., Que., Yukon, Alaska, Colo., Mont., N.Mex., Utah, Eurasia, Atlantic Islands (Iceland, Spitsbergen).

Discussion

On the basis of a morphologic and cytologic study, O. Hedberg (1992) recognized four subspecies in Saxifraga hirculus: subsp. propinqua (2n = 16, 24), nearctic (Labrador and northwestern Greenland to Alaska); subsp. coloradoensis (2n = 16), Colorado; subsp. hirculus (2n = 32), circumboreal (Ontario to Alaska in North America); and subsp. compacta (2n = 32), mostly Arctic Eurasia, Atlantic Islands (Iceland, Spitsbergen), eastern Greenland, and Alaska. Nonetheless, we are not recognizing subspecies (see also P. K. Holmgren and N. H. Holmgren 1997); further research is needed to determine their validity.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Saxifraga hirculus"
Luc Brouillet +  and Patrick E. Elvander† +
Linnaeus +
Yellow marsh saxifrage +  and saxifrage oeil-de-bouc +
Greenland +, B.C. +, Man. +, N.W.T. +, Nunavut +, Ont. +, Que. +, Yukon +, Alaska +, Colo. +, Mont. +, N.Mex. +, Utah +, Eurasia +, Atlantic Islands - Iceland +  and Spitsbergen. +
0-4000 m +
Wet, usually mossy, arctic or alpine tundra, wet alpine meadows +
Flowering summer. +
Hirculus prorepens +, Leptasea hirculus +, Saxifraga hirculus subsp. coloradensis +, Saxifraga hirculus subsp. compacta +, Saxifraga hirculus subsp. propinqua +  and Saxifraga hirculus var. propinqua +
Saxifraga hirculus +
Saxifraga +
species +