Olympic saxifrage

Saxifraga tischii Skelly, Madroño 35: 126, fig. 1. 1988

Plants solitary or in groups, with bulbils on caudices. Leaves basal; petiole flattened, 0.4-2 cm; blade ovate to elliptic, 0.5-2.5 cm, fleshy, base attenuate, margins serrate (7-16-toothed), ciliate, surfaces reddish brown-tomentose abaxially, gla-brous or rarely glabrate adaxially. Inflorescences (3-)5-15(-18)-flowered, open, flat-topped thyrses or cymes, 2-7 cm, purple-tipped stipitate-glandular. Flowers: sepals spreading to reflexed, ovate; petals greenish, often purple-margined, not spotted, lanceolate to obovate, not clawed, 1.2-2(-2.5) mm, equaling to longer than sepals; filaments linear, flattened; pistils distinct almost to base; ovary superior, (to 1/3 adnate to hypanthium). Capsules purplish, folliclelike.

Flowering summer. Wet, cool, shaded, thin-soil ledges and rock crevices; of conservation concern; 1300-2400 m; B.C.; Wash.

Micranthes tischii is known only from the Olympic Peninsula and from inland, mountainous Vancouver Island, British Columbia (Ogilvie & Beguin 798911, V). Closely related to M. rufidula, M. tischii appears to be highly specialized for its habitat. The unusual persistent, green, not clawed (versus deciduous, white, clawed) petals readily distinguish the two species.