Micranthes bryophora

Bud saxifrage

Family: Saxifragaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Bud saxifrage is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, high Cascade Range, and Sierra Nevada Mountains in sandy meadows and rocky ledges at elevations of 1,600 to 3,600 meters. Flowering in July to August, this plant produces white flowers with distinctive yellow spots at the base of the petals, featuring three broad spade-shaped petals and two narrow lanceolate petals. Growing as a compact plant 3 to 25 centimeters tall with an open habit, it forms a delicate cluster with a thin rhizome. Its leaves are relatively fleshy, linear-elliptic, 1 to 4 centimeters long, with margins that are nearly entire or finely toothed toward the tip. Uniquely, the plant's lower flowers are often replaced by small bulblets, creating an interesting reproductive strategy.

Habitat: Sandy meadows, ledges

Bloom period: (Jun)Jul-Aug

Elevation: 1600-3600 m

Bioregions: KR, CaRH, SNH.

California counties: Tulare, Fresno, Alpine, Kings, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, El Dorado, Inyo, Mono, Madera, Mariposa, Nevada, Placer, Tehama, Tuolumne, Butte, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Kern, Marin, Merced, San Benito, Ventura, Lassen

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.