3. Heuchera parviflora Bartling, Index Seminum (Göttingen). 1838: 4. 1838.
Little-flower alum-root
Herbs acaulescent; caudex branched or unbranched. Flowering stems 9-45 cm, short to long stipitate-glandular, viscid. Leaves: petiole usually long stipitate-glandular, some-times short stipitate-glandular; blade (often purple abaxially), reniform to orbiculate, shallowly 5-7-lobed, 3-13 cm, base cordate, lobes rounded, margins crenate, apex obtuse, surfaces short or long stipitate-glandular abaxially, short stipitate-glandular adaxially, viscid. Inflorescences diffuse. Flowers: hypanthium radially symmetric, free to 0.3 mm, white or pink, obconic, 1.2-3.2 mm, short or moderately long stipitate-glandular; sepals erect, green-tipped, equal, 0.5-1.3 mm, apex rounded; petals reflexed, white or pink, narrowly oblanceolate, unlobed, 1.5-3.5 mm, margins entire; stamens exserted 1.2-3.2 mm; styles exserted 1-3 mm, 1.5-4 mm, to 0.1 mm diam. Capsules ovoid, 2-5.7 mm, (minutely stipitate-glandular or glabrous), beaks divergent, not papillose. Seeds dark brown, ovoid, 0.4-0.6 mm, smooth.
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora): United States.
The specific epithet, parviflora, is similar to that of another species, Heuchera parvifolia, but these two species are distinct and have different legitimate names. The varieties of H. parviflora are not sympatric. The species merits phylogenetic study. The Blackfoot Indians applied a poultice of the pounded root to sores and swellings (D. E. Moerman 1998).
