''Mitella'' is a genus of flowering plants known as miterworts or bishop's caps. ''Mitella'' species are native to temperate and arctic North America and Asia.

Description

''Mitella'' includes

perennials A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

growing from a scaly rhizome, bearing wide heart- or spade-shaped leaves near their bases and

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...

s with five

petal Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corolla''. Petals are usuall ...

s in a long

raceme A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the sh ...

or spike.

Etymology

The genus name means "little

mitre The mitre (Commonwealth English) (; Greek: μίτρα, "headband" or "turban") or miter (American English; see spelling differences), is a type of headgear now known as the traditional, ceremonial headdress of bishops and certain abbots in t ...

", from

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...

''mitra'' with the

diminutive A diminutive is a root word that has been modified to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment. A ( abbreviated ) is a word-form ...

suffix ''-ella'', since the flowers are said to resemble

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...

's headdresses. In

Classical Latin Classical Latin is the form of Literary Latin recognized as a literary standard by writers of the late Roman Republic and early Roman Empire. It was used from 75 BC to the 3rd century AD, when it developed into Late Latin. In some later pe ...

use, however, ''mitella'' means "female headdress" or " sling". Latin ''mitra'' comes from

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

"girdle", "

headband A headband is a clothing accessory worn in the hair or around the forehead, usually to hold hair away from the face or eyes. Headbands generally consist of a loop of elastic material or a horseshoe-shaped piece of flexible plastic or metal. ...

", or "turban".

Species

Species include: *'' Mitella breweri'' - Brewer's miterwort *'' Mitella caulescens'' - slightstemmed miterwort *'' Mitella diphylla'' - twoleaf miterwort *'' Mitella diversifolia'' - angleleaf miterwort *'' Mitella nuda'' - naked miterwort *'' Mitella ovalis'' - coastal miterwort *'' Mitella pentandra'' - fivestamen miterwort *'' Mitella prostrata'' - creeping bishop's cap *'' Mitella stauropetala'' - smallflower miterwort *'' Mitella trifida'' - threepart miterwort

References

External links

Jepson's Manual Treatment
Saxifragaceae genera {{Saxifragaceae-stub