Chrysosplenium iowense
 
Golden Saxifrage

Plant Top in Ground

Brockelbank Hill, Highway 980 South of Armit
23-May-2018

The distal 1/3 to 1/6 of the stem is branched, resulting in flowers and upper leaves being clustered at the tip of the stem.  The four sepals are spreading, not erect, and the two outer sepals are wider than the two inner ones.  The sepals are greenish golden-yellow, not green.  The open flower in this specimen has six stamens.  In general, the flowers of this species have two to eight stamens.

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Iowense: Answers to key questions in Flora of Alberta leading to this species. 
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central flowers 3-5 mm broad; NOT [central flowers 2-3 mm broad]

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sepals spreading; NOT [sepals erect]

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outer pair of sepals wider; NOT [sepals of about equal size]

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sepals golden-yellow; NOT [sepals green]

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stamens 2-8; NOT [stamens 4]

 

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Chrysosplenium: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this genus. 
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herbs; NOT [shrubs]

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low plants

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leaves and flowers clustered at tip of stem; NOT [flowers in terminal cymes]

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leaves reniform; NOT [leaves lanceolate]

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leaves crenate; NOT [leaves serrate]

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petals absent; NOT [petals generally present]

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sepals 4; NOT [sepals 5]

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stamens 2-8, mostly 4-7; NOT [stamens 5 or 10]

 

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Saxifragaceae: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora  leading to this family. 
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herbs; NOT [shrubs or trees]

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land plants; NOT [water plants]

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plants not parasitic on trees, rooted in soil or water; NOT [plants parasitic on branches of trees, leaves reduced to scales]

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plants with stems or stemless, but with more than one pair of leaves; NOT [plants stemless with a single pair of large reniform leaves, calyx 3-lobed]

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leaves alternate, lower ones sometimes opposite; NOT [leaves opposite]

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leaves without stipules; NOT [leaves with stipules free or sheathing the stem]

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leaves orbicular or reniform

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flowers with only one floral ring, with sepals but not petals

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sepals 4

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stamens and pistils in each flower; NOT [stamens or pistils in separate flowers on the same plant]

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fruit dry when ripe; NOT [fruit fleshy when ripe]