Yellow coralbells

Description

Elmera racemosa is the only plant species of the genus Elmera in thesaxifrage family (Saxifragaceae). It is native to northwestern North America. Elmera racemosa grows as a perennial herb and reaches a height of 10 to 35 cm. It forms neither rhizomes nor stolons. The slender, underground part of the stem has scaly bracts. The erect, tiny glandular hairy stalk has two to three leaves that become smaller towards the top. Most leaves stand together in a basal rosette and are divided into petiole and leaf blade. The leaf stalks are slightly to intensely hairy with glandsare 2 to 10 cm long. The 1 to 3 cm long leaf blade is circular to broadly kidney-shaped with a heart-shaped base and pinnate. The leaf margin is composed of five to nine faint, rounded lobes that are notched. The leaf surface is hairy glandular. The brownish stipules are membranous and 2 to 5 mm long. In a stretched, 10 to 35 cm long, racemose inflorescence there are 10 to 28 flowers on flower stalks over glandular hairy, scale-like bracts. The flowers are hermaphrodite and fivefold with double perianth. The 5 to 9 mm long, bell-shaped, green, white or cream-colored, intensely glandular hairy flower cup (hypanthium) is fused to a quarter with the ovary; the free area is 2.5 to 4 mm long. The five triangular to oblong sepals are greenish yellow and 1 to 4 mm long. The five white or cream petalsare narrow, lanceolate to elongated, 3 to 5 mm long and usually four to seven lobes, rarely unlobed. Only the outer circle with five stamens is present; they do not surpass the petals. The one-quarter inferior ovary is one- chamber.