FAMILIES OF PLANTS 
71 
Alumroot (Heuchera ).—The alumroot is a perennial herb with 
mostly basal leaves and small clusters of greenish flowers. The three 
species that have been found in the park may be distinguished as 
follows: 
Petals lacking™.——_—.—-—-_- Heuchera ovali folia 
Petals about as long as the calyx..._____ Heuchera parvifolia 
Petals 3 or 4 times as long as the calyx----- Heuchera williamsii 
Mitella pentandra .—Decidedly a northern plant, but found all 
the way from Alaska to the Colorado Rockies in wet places 
on the higher mountains. It is an inconspicuous little plant with 
Figure 52. —Fringecup. White. Photograph by Geoffrey Coope 
kidney-shaped basal leaves and a slender raceme of small greenish 
flowers with pinnate petals. 
The genus Mitella is commonly known as bishopscap. 
Tellima parvi-flora .—This plant grows 4 to 12 inches high and 
is rough-hairy. The leaves are 3-lobed and the wedge-shaped divi¬ 
sions are once or twice 3-cleft. The petals are also 3-cleft. 
Tellima bulbifera is less hairy and the leaves usually have bulb- 
lets in their axils. The leaves are divided to the base and the petals 
are 3- to 5-cleft. 
The genus Tellima is commonly known as fringecup. 
Saxifrage ( Saxifraga ) .—The saxifrage has small white or greenish 
flowers usually with 5 petals and 10 stamens. It is quite variable, 
