''Brewerimitella ovalis'' is a species of flowering plant in the
saxifrage family known by the common names coastal miterwort and oval-leaf miterwort. It is native to western North America from southwestern
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
, including
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest ...
, to northern
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
as far south as
Marin County
Marin County ( ) is a county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat and largest city is San Rafael. Marin County is ac ...
. It grows in moist, shady habitat, such as coastal forests and streambanks.
Description
It is a
rhizomatous
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome ( ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...
perennial herb growing up to about 35 or 40 centimeters tall. The leaves occur around the base of the stem. They have oval blades up to 5 centimeters wide with toothed, lobed edges. The erect
inflorescence
In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...
bears several flowers, generally 20 to 60, usually along one side of the stem. The distinctive flower is saucer-shaped with five greenish yellow petals which are divided into narrow, whisker-like lobes. The petiole is between 1.2 and 8 centimeters long. There are no cauline leaves. The 1 to 3 inflorescences with between 20 and 60 flowers per node. The pedicles are between 1 and 2 millimeters long. The seeds are either reddish-brown or blackish in color. The fruit type is a capsule. The bloom color is either yellow or green. The bloom period is between the months of April, May, and June.
External links
Jepson Manual TreatmentPhoto gallery
References
Saxifragaceae
Flora of British Columbia
Flora of the West Coast of the United States
Flora of California
Flora of Washington (state)
Flora of Oregon
Plants described in 1887
Taxa named by Edward Lee Greene
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