The
photo at right shows an example of Sitka mistmaiden as seen on mossy cliffs at
the parking lot for Oneonta Gorge in the western Columbia River Gorge........March
26, 2004. Note the kidney-shaped leaves with their rounded lobes or teeth. Most
of the leaves are near the base of the plant, but some relatively large leaves
may be found on the stems beneath the inflorescence.
Sitka mistmaiden is an attractive, small wildflower with lax stems from 10-20 cm high. The basal leaves have reniform-orbicular blades from 1-9 cm wide and with palmate venation and either shallow lobes or wide, coarse teeth along the margins (See photo below.).The stem leaves are few, found near the base of the flower stem, and sometimes bearing bulbils in the axils.
The inflorescence is a loose and elongate cluster of white flowers bearing 5 petals. The corolla is roughly bell-shaped or tubular flaring outwards to the petals. It is about 6-11 mm long and wide. The anthers are shorter than the corolla lobes. The sepals are narrow or linear and much shorter than the corolla.
Habitat:
Sitka mistmaiden is generally found from sea level to timberline on wet cliffs and ledges.
Sitka mistmaiden may be found from southern Alaska south along the coast and Coast Ranges to San Francisco, CA, and east to Alberta, northwest Montana, and northern Idaho. In the Pacific Northwest, it is generally found from the Cascades west to the coast.
In the Columbia River Gorge, it may be found on both sides of the river between the elevations of 100'-2400' from the western mouth of the gorge east to just west of Hood River, OR .
