Saxifraga rotundifolia

Saxifraga rotundifolia, common name round-leaved saxifrage,[1] is a flowering herb and alpine plant of the genus Saxifraga.

Saxifraga rotundifolia
Flowers of Saxifraga rotundifolia at the Giardino Botanico Alpino Chanousia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Saxifragaceae
Genus: Saxifraga
Species:
S. rotundifolia
Binomial name
Saxifraga rotundifolia

Subspecies

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  • Saxifraga rotundifolia subsp. heucherifolia (Grisebach & Schrenk.) Ciocarlan
  • Saxifraga rotundifolia subsp. rotundifolia

Description

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Saxifraga rotundifolia can reach a height of 20–50 centimetres (7.9–19.7 in). This perennial herbaceous plant has fleshy leaves arranged in dense basal rosette. They are petiolate (up to 10 cm), up to 5 cm across, dark green, hairy, simple, rounded or almost heart-shaped, bordered by numerous triangular notches. The flowering stems are erect, pubescent, branched at the top, bearing narrow panicles of star-shaped flowers. These flowers have five lanceolate petals, usually white with numerous minute pink-purple specks. They bloom from April to August.

Distribution

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This species is present in the central and southern Europe in the Iberian Peninsula, the Alps and the Balkans.

Habitat

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Saxifraga rotundifolia prefers shady forests, damps, cliffs, stony soils and margins of streams at elevation of 700–2,200 metres (2,300–7,200 ft) above sea level.

References

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  1. ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.