About Micranthes petiolaris (Raf.) Brouillet & Gornall
Micranthes petiolaris, commonly called cliff saxifrage, is a flowering plant species that belongs to the saxifrage family. It is native to the Southern Appalachian Mountains, where it grows on exposed boulders and rocky seeps, most often at high elevation. This is a perennial plant that produces small white flowers with yellow spots during the summer. Recent genetic studies have found that this species is more closely related to arctic Micranthes species than to other Micranthes species native to the Southern Appalachians. This evidence indicates that M. petiolaris did not evolve alongside the other southern Micranthes species, but instead migrated to the southern Appalachians from the north, possibly during glacial periods.
