Creeping mitrewort

Mitellastra caulescens (Nuttall) Howell

Plants usually stoloniferous. Flowering stems 13-45 cm. Leaves: petiole 1.5-14 cm, short stipitate-glandular and, usually, long stipitate-glandular, longer hairs spreading to retrorse, white; blade broadly cordate to broadly ovate, ± as long as wide, 1.2-6.5(-8.5) × 1.4-7(-8.2) cm, margins 3-, 5-, or 7-lobed, crenate-dentate, irregularly ciliate, apex of terminal lobe acute to obtuse, surfaces short stipitate-glandular and sparsely long stipitate-glandular; cauline leaves 1-3, proximal or mid cauline, alternate, sessile or petiolate, blade 0.3-4.3(-6) × 0.4-4.4(-7) cm. Inflorescences 1-2(-4), remotely 5-25-flowered, 1(-2) flowers per node, (anthesis basipetalous), not secund, 13-45 cm, short stipitate-glandular and sparsely long stipitate-glandular proximally, short stipitate-glandular distally. Pedicels 2-8 mm, short stipitate-glandular. Flowers: hypanthium broadly campanulate, 1.5-2 × 3-5.5 mm; sepals spreading or recurved, greenish, deltate-ovate, 0.9-1.5 × 1.4-2 mm; petals whitish green or greenish, sometimes purple tinged proximally, 5-9-lobed, 3-4 mm, lobes linear, lateral lobes spreading; stamens 5, opposite sepals; filaments usually purple proximally and white distally, sometimes entirely white, 0.6-0.9 mm; anthers 0.2-0.4 × 0.2-0.4 mm; ovary 1/2 inferior; styles erect or spreading, cylindric, 0.8-1.1 mm; stigmas unlobed. Seeds reddish purple or dark reddish brown, 0.7-1 mm, pitted. 2n = 14.

Flowering Apr-Jul. Deep woods, meadows, stream banks; 0-2100 m; B.C.; Calif., Idaho, Mont., Oreg., Wash.