Heuchera caespitosa

Herbs subcaulescent; caudex branched. Flowering stems 10-40 cm, long stipitate-glandular. Leaves: petiole long stipitate-glandular; blade reni-form or orbiculate, shallowly 5-lobed, 1-4 cm, base cordate or truncate, lobes rounded, margins dentate, apex obtuse, surfaces short or long stipitate-glandular. Inflorescenses moderately dense. Flowers: hypanthium strongly bilaterally symmetric, free 2-2.8 mm on adaxial side, pink to purplish, narrowly campanulate, widening at mouth, 4-7 mm, short stipitate-glandular proximally, long stipitate-glandular distally; sepals spreading, green-tipped, equal, 1-1.2 mm, apex rounded; petals spreading, white, oblanceolate, (clawed), unlobed, 2-2.5 mm (longer than sepals), margins entire; stamens included 0.5 mm to exserted 0.5 mm; styles to 0.5 mm included, 1.5 mm, 0.1+ mm diam. Capsules ovoid, 4 mm, beaks divergent, not papillose. Seeds dark brown, ellipsoid, 0.7 mm.

Flowering Jun. Shaded, rocky slopes; of conservation concern; 1900-2300 m; Calif.

Heuchera caespitosa occurs in the western Transverse Ranges in Kern, San Bernardino, Tulare, and Ventura counties, and in the Outer South Coast Ranges, southern Sierra Nevada foothills, and southern Sierra Nevada. It is very similar to H. abramsii, H. brevistaminea, H. hirsutissima, and H. pulchella; the group needs thorough phylogenetic analysis.