Saxifraga cespitosa

Tufted Saxifrage
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Core eudicots
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Saxifragaceae
Genus: Saxifraga
Species: S. cespitosa
Binomial name
Saxifraga cespitosa
L.
Synonyms

Saxifraga caespitosa (orth. var.)

The tufted saxifrage (Saxifraga cespitosa) is a flower common to many arctic heights. It appears further south in mountainous areas of the Alps, Norway, Iceland, Siberia, and western North America.

Densely tufted from a stout taproot, the plant has very short stems with withered, dead leaves at the base. The leaves have three to five lobes; both leaves and calyx exhibit trichomes in the form of glandular hair. Flowering stems range from 5–10 cm, with one or two flowers per stem. Its petals are white, twice the length of the calyx lobes. Smaller specimens, with shorter stems and smaller, yellowish-greenish petals (with uniflorous variants), are rather frequent.

The tufted saxifrage grows on ledges and gravelly places.

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