9. Conimitella Rydberg in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 96. 1905.
[Latin conus, cone, and genus Mitella, alluding to hypanthium shape and general resemblance]
Elizabeth Fortson Wells, Patrick E. Elvander
Herbs, not rhizomatous, not stoloniferous; caudex scaly. Flowering stems erect, leafless, 25-60 cm, minutely stipitate-glandular. Leaves in basal rosette; stipules present; petiole minutely stipitate-glandular; blade orbiculate to reniform, shallowly 5-11-lobed, lobes rounded, base cordate, ultimate margins crenate, stiffly ciliate, apex obtuse to rounded, surfaces minutely stipitate-glandular; venation palmate. Inflorescences racemes, terminal from axillary buds in basal rosette, 7-15-flowered, bracteate. Flowers: hypanthium adnate to ovary in proximal 1/2, free from ovary 1-1.5 mm, green, yellowish green, or pinkish green; sepals 5, green, yellowish green, or pinkish green; petals 5, white; nectary tissue not seen; stamens 5; filaments filiform; ovary 1/2-3/4 inferior, 1-locular; placentation parietal; styles absent; stigmas 2. Capsules 2-beaked. Seeds dark brown, ellipsoid, warty or smooth. x = 7.
Species 1: wc North America.
Analysis of molecular data reported by D. E. Soltis et al. (1990) has suggested that Conimitella is far more closely related to Mitella diversifolia, M. stauropetala, and M. trifida than previously believed on morphologic grounds. They made a strong argument for including Conimitella within Mitella; they deferred making nomenclatural changes until further studies are completed.
