Jill of the rocks

Herbs caulescent; caudex branched. Flowering stems 9-30 cm, short or long stipitate-glandular, viscid. Leaves: petiole (7-22 cm), densely long stipitate-glandular; blade pentagonal to septagonal, deeply 5-lobed, 6.3-17 cm, base deeply cordate, lobes rounded, margins crenate, apex obtuse, surfaces long stipitate-glandular abaxially, glabrous adaxially except long stipitate-glandular near margins, viscid. Inflorescences dense. Flowers: hypan-thium radially symmetric, free 0.3-1.4 mm, white to pink, hemispheric, 2.5-4.2 mm, densely long stipitate-glandular; sepals somewhat spreading, green- or red-tipped, equal, 0.7-2 mm, apex rounded or truncate, (medium to long stipitate-glandular); petals spreading, white, oblong-lanceolate, (clawed), unlobed, 2-4 mm, margins entire; stamens exserted 0.4-2.5 mm; styles exserted to 2 mm, 1.5-4 mm, 0.1+ mm diam. Capsules ovoid, 4-8 mm, beaks divergent, not papillose. Seeds black, broadly fusiform, 0.4 mm. 2n = 14.

Flowering Mar-May. Exposed cliffs; of conservation concern; 0-500 m; Calif.

Heuchera maxima is found on the northern Channel Islands (Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa), Santa Barbara County.

Heuchera maxima is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.