Mitella

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.

Mitella
Mitella caulescens
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Saxifragales
Family:	Saxifragaceae
Genus:	Mitella Tourn. ex L. (1753)
Species[1]
Mitella diphylla L. Mitella × inamii Ohwi & Okuyama Mitella × intermedia Bruhin Mitella nuda L.
Synonyms[1]
Mitellopsis Meisn. (1838)

Description

Mitella includes perennials growing from a scaly rhizome, bearing wide heart- or spade-shaped leaves near their bases and flowers with five petals in a long raceme or spike.

Etymology

The genus name means "little mitre", from Latin mitra with the diminutive suffix -ella, since the flowers are said to resemble bishop's headdresses. In Classical Latin use, however, mitella means "female headdress" or "sling".^[2] Latin mitra comes from Greek mítrā "girdle", "headband", or "turban".^[3]

Species

Four species and natural hybrids are accepted.^[1]

• Mitella diphylla L. - twoleaf miterwort
• Mitella × inamii Ohwi & Okuyama
• Mitella × intermedia Bruhin (M. diphylla × M. nuda)
• Mitella nuda L. - naked miterwort (syn. Mitella prostrata - creeping bishop's cap)

Formerly placed here

• Brewerimitella breweri (A.Gray) R.A.Folk & Y.Okuyama - Brewer's miterwort (as Mitella breweri A.Gray)
• Brewerimitella ovalis (Greene) R.A.Folk & Y.Okuyama - coastal miterwort (as Mitella ovalis Greene)
• Mitellastra caulescens (Nutt.) Howell - slightstemmed miterwort (as Mitella caulescens Nutt.)
• Ozomelis diversifolia (Greene) Rydb. - angleleaf miterwort (as Mitella diversifolia)
• Ozomelis stauropetala (Piper) Rydb. - smallflower miterwort (as Mitella stauropetala)
• Ozomelis trifida (Graham) Rydb. - threepart miterwort (as Mitella trifida Graham)
• Pectiantia pentandra (Hook.) Rydb. - fivestamen miterwort (as Mitella pentandra Hook.)