Saxifraga oppositifolia
Sp. Pl. 1: 402. 1753 ,.
Plants mat- or cushion-forming (with trailing, ± woody stems), not stoloniferous, rhizomatous. Leaves cauline (marcescent, crowded), opposite (rarely alternate); petiole absent; blade oblong to ± broadly obovate, unlobed, 2–5 mm, leathery, margins entire, bristly-ciliate, with 1(–3) lime-secreting hydathodes (in pit, secretion obvious), apex obtuse, surfaces glabrous. Inflorescences solitary flowers, ebracteate, 1–5 cm, glabrate or sparsely purple-tipped stipitate-glandular. Flowers: sepals erect, ovate, margins stiffly ciliate or not, surfaces hairy, stipitate-glandular, or glabrous; petals purple to pink, rarely white, often drying violet, not spotted, obovate to elliptic, (2–)5–12(–20) mm, longer than sepals; ovary ± superior. Capsules ± folliclelike.
Distribution
North America, Eurasia, arctic and alpine.
Discussion
Subspecies 7 (2 in the flora).
Selected References
None.
Key
| 1 | Sepal margins bristly-ciliate | Saxifraga oppositifolia subsp. oppositifolia |
| 1 | Sepal margins glandular-ciliate | Saxifraga oppositifolia subsp. smalliana |