Saxifraga rivularis

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 1: 404. 1753,.

Treatment appears in FNA Volume 8. Treatment on page 144. Mentioned on page 134.

Plants (delicate), loosely tufted or matted, (green to purple), stoloniferous, weakly rhizomatous, (with bulbils in axils of basal leaves). Leaves basal and cauline; petiole ± flattened, 2–30(–50) mm; blade reniform, 3–5(–7)-lobed (lobes rounded, sometimes ± obtuse, distalmost unlobed), (2.6–)3.7–5.2(–7.4) mm, slightly fleshy, margins entire, eciliate or sparsely glandular-ciliate, without lime-secreting hydathodes (with nonsecreting hydathodes at lobe apices), apex acute, surfaces glabrous. Inflorescences 2–3(–5)-flowered cymes, sometimes solitary flowers, (flowers pedicellate), 1.7–7 cm, glabrous or sparsely to ± densely tangled, pink-tipped stipitate-glandular; bracts (2–3), petiolate, (unlobed or 1–3-lobed, reduced). Flowers (hypanthium U-shaped in longisection); sepals erect, (sometimes rusty brown), elliptic to ovate, margins eciliate or sparsely glandular-ciliate, glabrous or sparsely to densely stipitate-glandular; petals white, sometimes pink tinged, not spotted, oblong to elliptic, 2–6 mm, to 2–3 times length of sepals; ovary 1/2 inferior.

Distribution

V8 291-distribution-map.gif

Nunavut, Que., Alaska, N.H., n Eurasia.

Discussion

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

Some reports of Saxifraga sibirica Linnaeus from Canada are misidentifications of this species.

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Plants wholly green or purple only in inflorescences; hair crosswalls usually without color, rarely pale purple; inflorescences 2.7-7 cm, glabrous or sparsely stipitate-glandular; hypanthia sparsely short stipitate-glandular, hairs 0.1-0.3(-0.4) mm. Saxifraga rivularis subsp. rivularis
1 Plants mostly purple (at least inflorescences); hair crosswalls purple; inflorescences 1.7-3 cm, sparsely to densely stipitate-glandular; hypanthia sparsely to densely long stipitate-glandular, hairs (0.2-)0.3-0.6(-1.1) mm. Saxifraga rivularis subsp. arctolitoralis