''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 In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

growing from a scaly

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome ( ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and Shoot (botany), shoots from its Node (botany), nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from ...

, bearing wide heart- or spade-shaped

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

near their bases and

flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

s with five

petal Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corol ...

s in a long

raceme A raceme () or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate growth, 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 ...

or spike.

Etymology

The genus name means "little

mitre The mitre (Commonwealth English) or miter (American English; American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, see spelling differences; both pronounced ; ) is a type of headgear now known as the traditional, ceremonial headdress of ...

", from

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

''mitra'' with the

diminutive A diminutive is a word obtained by modifying a root word 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, and sometimes to belittle s ...

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

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

's headdresses. In

Classical Latin Classical Latin is the form of Literary Latin recognized as a Literary language, literary standard language, standard by writers of the late Roman Republic and early Roman Empire. It formed parallel to Vulgar Latin around 75 BC out of Old Latin ...

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

Greek Greek may refer to: 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 of all kno ...

"girdle", "

headband A headband or hairband 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 plast ...

", or "turban".

Species

Four species and natural hybrids are accepted. *'' Mitella diphylla'' - twoleaf miterwort *'' Mitella × inamii'' *''

Mitella × intermedia ''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 growing from a scaly rhizome, bearing wid ...

'' (''M. diphylla'' × ''M. nuda'') *'' Mitella nuda'' - naked miterwort (syn. ''Mitella prostrata'' - creeping bishop's cap)

Formerly placed here

*'' Brewerimitella breweri'' - Brewer's miterwort (as ''Mitella breweri'' ) *'' Brewerimitella ovalis'' - coastal miterwort (as ''Mitella ovalis'' ) *'' Mitellastra caulescens'' - slightstemmed miterwort (as ''Mitella caulescens'' ) *'' Ozomelis diversifolia'' - angleleaf miterwort (as ''Mitella diversifolia'') *'' Ozomelis stauropetala'' - smallflower miterwort (as ''Mitella stauropetala'') *'' Ozomelis trifida'' - threepart miterwort (as ''Mitella trifida'' ) *'' Pectiantia pentandra'' - fivestamen miterwort (as ''Mitella pentandra'' )

References

External links

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