Saxifraga cespitosa

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 1: 404. 1753 ,.

Common names: Tufted or tufted alpine saxifrage saxifrage cespiteuse
Synonyms: Muscaria delicatula Small Muscaria micropetala Small Muscaria monticola Small Saxifraga cespitosa subsp. decipiens (Ehrhart) Engler & Irmscher Saxifraga cespitosa var. emarginata (Small) Rosendahl Saxifraga cespitosa subsp. exaratioides (Simmons) Engler & Irmscher Saxifraga cespitosa subsp. laxiuscula (Engler & Irmscher) Á. Löve & D. Löve Saxifraga cespitosa var. lemmonii Engler & Irmscher Saxifraga cespitosa var. minima Blankenship Saxifraga cespitosa subsp. monticola (Small) A. E. Porsild Saxifraga cespitosa subsp. sileneflora (Sternberg ex Chamisso) Hultén Saxifraga cespitosa subsp. subgemmifera Engler & Irmscher Saxifraga cespitosa var. subgemmifera (Engler & Irmscher) C. L. Hitchcock Saxifraga cespitosa subsp. uniflora (R. Brown) A. E. Porsild
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 8. Treatment on page 146. Mentioned on page 134.

Plants densely cushion to loosely mat-forming, (stems trailing), not stoloniferous, not rhizomatous, with ± woody caudex. Leaves basal and proximal cauline, (marcescent, crowded); petiole flattened, 2–6 (–12) mm; blade elliptic to obovate or spatulate, 3 (–5) -lobed apically (lobes oblongelliptic), 4–15 (–25) mm, ± fleshy, margins entire, sparsely short glandular-ciliate (mostly proximally), (nonsecreting hydathodes present adaxially at each lobe apex), apex obtuse, surfaces sparsely to densely short-stipitate-glandular. Inflorescences 2–5-flowered cymes, sometimes solitary flowers, to 2–15 (–20) cm, densely clear or cream to pinkish yellow-tipped stipitate-glandular; bracts sessile. Flowers: sepals erect to spreading, triangular or ovate to elliptic, margins stipitate-glandular, surfaces stipitate-glandular; petals white, proximally greenish to yellowish tinged, not spotted but sometimes striate, elliptic or oblanceolate to obovate, (1.5–) 3–7 (–15) mm, equaling or longer than sepals; ovary inferior. 2n = 78, 80.


Phenology: Flowering summer.
Habitat: Rock outcrops, crevices, talus, scree slopes, rocky tundra, fellfields, nunataks, stream banks
Elevation: 0-4500 m

Distribution

V8 296-distribution-map.gif

Greenland, Alta., B.C., Man., Nfld. and Labr., N.W.T., Nunavut, Ont., Que., Yukon, Alaska, Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., Nev., N.Mex., Oreg., Utah, Wash., Wyo., Europe, Asia (Siberia)

Discussion

The North American representatives of Saxifraga cespitosa are very variable. It seems futile at this time to recognize any of the infrapecific taxa that have been described, although five are frequently distinguished as either subspecies or varieties. Expressions of all of the purported distinguishing characters overlap or have little apparent geographic or ecologic correlation. The only Southern Hemisphere representatives of Saxifraga are closely related to S. cespitosa. Reports of S. rosacea Moench from southern Greenland are misidentifications of this species.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"full" is not a number.

... more about "Saxifraga cespitosa"
epigynous +, perigynous +  and hypogynous +
palmate +  and pinnate +
Luc Brouillet +  and Patrick E. Elvander† +
Linnaeus +
cuneate +  and cordate +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
dentate +, serrate +  and entire +
glandular-ciliate +  and ciliate +
3(-5)-lobed +, elliptic +  and obovate or spatulate +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
3-carpellate +  and 2-carpellate +
distinct +  and connate +
appearing +  and axile +
Tufted or tufted alpine saxifrage +  and saxifrage cespiteuse +
2-5-flowered +
Greenland +, Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, Nfld. and Labr. +, N.W.T. +, Nunavut +, Ont. +, Que. +, Yukon +, Alaska +, Ariz. +, Calif. +, Colo. +, Idaho +, Mont. +, Nev. +, N.Mex. +, Oreg. +, Utah +, Wash. +, Wyo. +, Europe +  and Asia (Siberia) +
0-4500 m +
flattened +
bracteate +  and 2-200[-1000]-flowered +
15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br /> (20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br />) +
pinkish yellow-tipped +, cream +  and clear +
stipitate-glandular +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br /> (100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
2-3(-4)-beaked +  and folliclelike +
Rock outcrops, crevices, talus, scree slopes, rocky tundra, fellfields, nunataks, stream banks +
multicellular +
glabrous +, stipitate-glandular +  and hairy +
pink +  and purple +
free +  and adnate +
cauline +, proximal +  and basal +
reduced +
stipitate-glandular +  and glandular-ciliate +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br />) +
crassinucellate +, unitegmic +  and bitegmic +
epigynous +, perigynous +  and hypogynous +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
spotted but sometimes striate +, proximally greenish +  and yellowish tinged +
distinct +
oblanceolate +  and obovate +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
peltate +  and jointed +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
flattened +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
Flowering summer. +
unequal +
spiny +  and ribbed +
straight +
papillate +, tuberculate +  and smooth +
ovoid +, ellipsoid +  and oblong +
reddish +  and green +
distinct +
erect +  and spreading +
ovate +  and elliptic +
unbranched +  and branched +
persistent +
horizontal +  and erect +
connate +  and distinct +
stipitate-glandular +  and short-stipitate-glandular +
Muscaria delicatula +, Muscaria micropetala +, Muscaria monticola +, Saxifraga cespitosa subsp. decipiens +, Saxifraga cespitosa var. emarginata +, Saxifraga cespitosa subsp. exaratioides +, Saxifraga cespitosa subsp. laxiuscula +, Saxifraga cespitosa var. lemmonii +, Saxifraga cespitosa var. minima +, Saxifraga cespitosa subsp. monticola +, Saxifraga cespitosa subsp. sileneflora +, Saxifraga cespitosa subsp. subgemmifera +, Saxifraga cespitosa var. subgemmifera +  and Saxifraga cespitosa subsp. uniflora +
Saxifraga cespitosa +
Saxifraga +
species +
dentate +, serrate +  and entire +
not rhizomatous +  and not stoloniferous +
cushion +, mat-forming +  and plant +
14 +, 13 +, 11 +, 8 +  and 6 +