Leafy Mitrewort, Leafy-stem Mitrewort, Slightstemmed, Star-shaped Mitrewort
Mitellastra caulescens
Synonyms: Mitella caulescens, Mitellastrum caulescens
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The photo
at right shows a close-up of the raceme of leafy mitrewort in the author's garden, April 5, 2005.Leafy-stem mitrewort is stoloniferous perennial with leafy flower stems from 15-30 cm high from a cluster of several basal leaves. The stems are covered with gland-tipped hairs. The leaves are roughly heart-shaped with 3-7 (usually 5) lobes cut about 1/4-1/3 into the blade. The lobes are edged with small, coarse or rounded teeth. The blades are 3-7 cm wide and sparsely covered with coarse hairs on the upper surfaces. The petioles are up to twice as long as the leaf blades. The 1-3 stem leaves are much reduced in size and rarely if ever sessile.
The racemes are elongate and fairly open with up to 25 flowers. The flowers blossom from the top of the stem downward. The greenish calyx is a wide bowl- or bell-shape about 5-6 mm wide. The calyx lobes are widely triangular in shape. The greenish petals may have purple coloration at their bases, and are 3-4 mm long. The individual petals are linear with 4-8 pairs of threadlike fringes along their margins. The 5 stamens are shorter than and opposite to the calyx lobes. The ovary is about 1/2 inferior during bloom.
Leafy-stem mitrewort may be found from the seacoast to middle elevations in the mountains. It may be found in meadows, moist, swampy ground, and in moist shady woods.
Leafy-stem mitrewort may be found from British Columbia south northwestern California. It may be found eastward to northern and west-central Idaho and northwestern Montana.
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