Mitella ovalis

Greene

Pittonia 1: 32. 1887 ,.

Common names: Oval-leaf mitrewort
Endemic
Synonyms: Pectiantia ovalis (Greene) Rydberg
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 8. Treatment on page 112. Mentioned on page 109, 110, 113.

Plants not stoloniferous or, rarely, stoloniferous. Flowering stems 15–35(–40) cm. Leaves: petiole 1.2–8(–11.3) cm, short stipitate-glandular and densely long stipitate-glandular, longer hairs spreading or retrorse, reddish brown; blade cordate-ovate to cordate-oblong, longer than wide, 2.7–7 × 1.5–5.4 cm, margins shallowly 5-, 7- or 9-lobed, doubly crenate-dentate or dentate, glabrous or irregularly ciliate, apex of terminal lobe acute to obtuse, surfaces sparsely short stipitate-glandular and long stipitate-glandular to sparsely long stipitate-glandular along primary veins abaxially, long stipitate-glandular adaxially; cauline leaves absent. Inflorescences 1–3(–6), closely 20–60-flowered, 1(–2) flowers per node, not secund, 15–35(–40) cm, subglabrous or short stipitate-glandular and sparsely long stipitate-glandular proximally, short stipitate-glandular and, rarely, long stipitate-glandular distally. Pedicels 1–2 mm, short stipitate-glandular. Flowers: hypanthium shallowly saucer-shaped, 0.8–1 × 2–3.5 mm; sepals spreading to recurved, greenish, triangular, 0.7–1 × 0.9–1.9 mm; petals greenish yellow, 3–9-lobed, 1.5–2 mm, lobes linear, lateral lobes spreading; stamens 5, opposite sepals; filaments white, 0.1–0.3 mm; anthers 0.1–0.2 × 0.2–0.4 mm; ovary nearly completely inferior; styles divergent, flattened, 0.2–0.3 mm; stigmas 2-lobed. Seeds reddish purple or blackish, 0.8–1.1 mm, pitted. 2n = 14.


Phenology: Flowering Mar–Jul.
Habitat: Moist woods, stream margins, wet banks
Elevation: 0-1500 m

Distribution

V8 221-distribution-map.gif

B.C., Calif., Oreg., Wash.

Discussion

Mitella ovalis occurs from Vancouver Island and extreme southwest mainland of British Columbia south to Marin County, California.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.