''Mitella'' is a genus of flowering plants known as miterworts or bishop's caps. ''Mitella'' species are native to temperate and arctic North America and Asia.

Description

''Mitella'' includes perennials growing from a scaly

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

, bearing wide heart- or spade-shaped

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

near their bases and flowers with five

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s in a long

raceme A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the s ...

or spike.

Etymology

The genus name means "little mitre", from Latin ''mitra'' with the

diminutive A diminutive is a root word that has been modified to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment. A (abbreviated ) is a word-formati ...

suffix ''-ella'', since the flowers are said to resemble bishop's headdresses. In Classical Latin use, however, ''mitella'' means "female headdress" or "

sling sling may refer to: Places *Sling, Anglesey, Wales *Sling, Gloucestershire, England, a small village in the Forest of Dean People with the name * Otto Šling (1912–1952), repressed Czech communist functionary Arts, entertainment, and media * ...

". Latin ''mitra'' comes from Greek "girdle", " headband", or "turban".

Species

Species include: *''

Mitella breweri ''Mitella breweri'' is a species of flowering plant in the saxifrage family known by the common names Brewer's mitrewort and Brewer's bishop's cap. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to central California (Sierra Nevada r ...

'' - Brewer's miterwort *''

Mitella caulescens ''Mitella caulescens'', the slightstemmed miterwort, star-shaped mitrewort, leafy miterwort, or creeping miterwort, is an herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Saxifragaceae native to western North America North America ...

'' - slightstemmed miterwort *''

Mitella diphylla ''Mitella diphylla'' (twoleaf miterwort, two-leaved mitrewort, or bishop's cap) is a clump forming, open woodland plant native to northeast and midwest regions of North America. Description Miterwort grows from a rhizomatous root system with fi ...

'' - twoleaf miterwort *''

Mitella diversifolia ''Mitella'' is a genus of flowering plants known as miterworts or bishop's caps. ''Mitella'' species are native to temperate and arctic North America and Asia. Description ''Mitella'' includes perennials growing from a scaly rhizome, bearing wid ...

'' - angleleaf miterwort *''

Mitella nuda ''Mitella nuda'', the naked bishop's cap or naked miterwort, is a plant in the genus ''Mitella''. It has a single leaf, serrate but not deeply lobed, rising in single stalks from the ground. The leaf color is light green. Tiny white hairs arise ...

'' - naked miterwort *''

Mitella ovalis ''Mitella ovalis'' is a species of flowering plant in the saxifrage family known by the common names coastal miterwort and oval-leaf miterwort. It is native to western North America from southwestern British Columbia, including Vancouver Island, ...

'' - coastal miterwort *''

Mitella pentandra ''Mitella pentandra'', or ''Pectiantia pentandra'', is a species of flowering plant in the Saxifrage Family (Saxifragaceae), known by the common names fivestamen miterwort or five-point bishop's cap.Sierra Nevada Wildflowers, Karen Wiese, 2013, p ...

'' - fivestamen miterwort *''

Mitella prostrata ''Mitella'' is a genus of flowering plants known as miterworts or bishop's caps. ''Mitella'' species are native to temperate and arctic North America and Asia. Description ''Mitella'' includes perennials growing from a scaly rhizome, bearing wid ...

'' - creeping bishop's cap *''

Mitella stauropetala ''Mitella'' is a genus of flowering plants known as miterworts or bishop's caps. ''Mitella'' species are native to temperate and arctic North America and Asia. Description ''Mitella'' includes perennials growing from a scaly rhizome, bearing wid ...

'' - smallflower miterwort *''

Mitella trifida ''Mitella trifida'' is a species of flowering plant in the saxifrage family known by the common names threeparted miterwort and Pacific miterwort. It is native to western North America from Alaska to Montana to California, where it grows in wet w ...

'' - threepart miterwort

References

External links

Jepson's Manual Treatment
Saxifragaceae genera {{Saxifragaceae-stub