Leaves: both have many basal leaves, leaves of M. stauropetala are a bit more rounded and less toothed, and leaves of M. pentandra are somewhat leathery looking and on shorter petioles.  

Stems: M. pentandra is often half the height of M. stauropetala but they can both grow 12-16 inches tall.  

Growth habits and habitat: M. pentandra tends to grow in large continuous colonies of dozens of plants (it sprouts new plants from its spreading root system), frequently at the base of down and decaying logs.  M. stauropetala also sprouts from its roots and can, therefore, be found in large colonies, but it is usually in forest openings away from logs.  Both plants like moist woods.

    The two primary keys to distinguishing between the two plants after they have flowered are: 

1) The arrangement of the flowers/seed capsules: Mitella stauropetala is secund, i.e., its flowers/seed cups are arranged on one side of the stem, not necessarily in a straight vertical line, but close to one.  Mitella pentandra's flowers/seed cups are scattered on all sides of the stem.  (See photograph immediately below.  Note also the empty seed cup on the right and the full seed cup on the left.)  

2) The pedicel (the stem of the flower and seed cup) of Mitella stauropetala is about 1 millimeter long at flowering time and about 2 millimeters long at fruiting time when it is about half as long as the seed cup is wide.  The pedicel of Mitella pentandra is 2-4 millimeters or more long and is thus about as long as, or longer than, the seed cup is wide.  The photograph immediately below shows the pedicel and seed cup of M. pentandra.

 See below for more photos of these characteristics.

    Linnaeus named the Mitella genus in 1753.  William Jackson Hooker named Mitella pentandra in 1829 from the plants that had been grown from seeds Thomas Drummond collected in the northern Rockies.  Charles Piper (1867-1926) named Mitella stauropetala in 1899 from specimens Sandberg, Mac Dougal, and Heller collected in Idaho in 1892.  "Mitella" is Latin for "turban".

Montane, subalpine. Woodlands, streamsides, wetlands. Spring, summer.
Ryman Creek Trail, June 16, 2005.

The leaves of Mitella pentandra (and M. stauropetala shown below) are characteristic of many members of the Saxifrage Family shown on this web site.  Flower stalks of Mitella pentandra are often about six-to-eight inches long and flowers are tiny works of wispy art: green, filamentary, and airy.  The plant is less commonly noticed than Mitella stauropetala even though the two enjoy the same habitat and do grow very near each other in wetlands, moist woods, and shady areas of Spruce forests.  Observing this flower closely may get you wet and muddy but you will be filled with wonder.  

"Pentandra" is from the Greek for "five anthers" (as can be seen in the third picture).

Montane, subalpine. Woodlands, streamsides, wetlands. Spring, summer.
Ryman Creek Trail, June 16, 2005.

Montane, subalpine. Woodlands, streamsides, wetlands. Spring, summer.
Ryman Creek Trail, June 16, 2005.

The five dots in the red circle are the anthers that give the plant its specific epithet.

Montane, subalpine. Woodlands, streamsides, wetlands. Spring, summer.
Kilpacker Trail, August 29, 2005.

Tiny black seeds have already fallen from about half the seed cups.

Montane, subalpine. Woodlands, streamsides, wetlands. Spring, summer.
Ryman Creek Trail, June 4, 2004.

The leaves of Mitrewort are large, showy, and reminiscent of Brook Saxifrage, and the tall slim flower stalk is also, at first glance, similar to that of Brook Saxifrage.  The flowers of each plant are exquisite miniature works of beauty.  Mitrewort grows in moist areas and even though it is fairly common, it is often difficult to find because it is buried in a mass of greenery.

"Stauro" is Greek for "cross-like", referring to the tiny branchings of the petals.

Montane, subalpine. Woodlands, streamsides, wetlands. Spring, summer.
Ryman Creek Trail, June 4, 2004.

The petals are narrow and forked; the sepals are the rounded structures in a cup formation.  Petals fall off after many days, and the sepals remain many days longer as the seeds mature in their base.  Eventually sepals, too, fall off and only the stalk remains with tiny cups of black seeds.

Montane, subalpine. Woodlands, streamsides, wetlands. Spring, summer.
Upper Calico Trail, July 12, 2004.