Mitellastra caulescens

Leafy-stemmed mitrewort

Family: Saxifragaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.2

Leafy-stemmed mitrewort is a California native perennial with a rank of 4.2, found in northwestern California (excluding North Coast Ranges Interior) in wet shaded areas at elevations below 1,700 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces yellow-green flowers with 4 to 7 linear lobes arranged in small, delicate blooming clusters. Growing 15 to 45 centimeters tall with a scaly rhizome and slender stems, it develops both basal and cauline leaves. Its rounded leaves are 2 to 7 centimeters wide with 3 to 7 sharp-toothed lobes, creating a distinctive delicate foliage. The plant produces a capsule fruit that becomes widely dehiscent, forming an unusual splash cup that helps disperse its many shiny red-brown to black seeds.

Habitat: Wet shaded areas

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: < 1700 m

Bioregions: NW (exc NCoRI)

California counties: Humboldt, Mendocino, Siskiyou

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