Heuchera elegans

Herbs subcaulescent; caudex branched. Flowering-stems 10–40 cm, sparsely medium stipitate-glandular. Leaves: petiole long-stipitate-glandular; blade reniform or orbiculate, shallowly 5-lobed, 1.5–3.5 cm, base cordate or truncate, lobes rounded, margins dentate, apex obtuse, surfaces short or long-stipitate-glandular. Inflorescenses dense. Flowers: hypanthium strongly bilaterally symmetric, free 3–3.5 mm on adaxial side, pink to purplish, narrowly cylindric or cylindric-urceolate, 4–7 mm, short-stipitate-glandular proximally, densely long-stipitate-glandular distally; sepals spreading, green-tipped, unequal, 2 mm on adaxial side of hypanthium, apex obtuse or rounded; petals spreading, white, broadly oblanceolate, (clawed), unlobed, 3–4 mm (longer than sepals), margins entire; stamens included 0.5 mm to exserted 0.5 mm; styles included to 2 mm, 1.5–2 mm, 0.1+ mm diam. Capsules urceolate, 4–6 mm, beaks divergent, not papillose. Seeds dark-brown, ellipsoid, 0.7 mm.

Phenology: Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat: Rocky sites in yellow pine and red fir forests
Elevation: 1500-2600 m

Calif.

Discussion

Heuchera elegans occurs in the mountains of southern California, chiefly in the San Gabriel Range in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties and vicinity. It resembles H. caespitosa. This group is in need of phylogenetic study.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa