Saxifragaceae

Saxifraga caespitosa

Tufted Saxifrage

TTight mat of leaves crowded into rosettes, flowers on short stems above. Leaves wider at top of rosette, divided into 3–5 lobes. Flower stem has 1 leaf near middle, holds 1 or few flowers well above foliage. Flowers white to cream in a green or purple cup, sepals and petals the same length. Grows in damp rocky slopes, cliffs, from sea level to alpine around the world except for eastern North America. Subsp. subgemmifera (pictured), a lowland form with weaker stems, has leaves with long, thin, sometimes cobweb-like hairs.

• Rarity: Locally Common
• Flowering Time: All Spring And Summer
• Life Cycle: Perennial
• Height: 2--12 inches
• Habitat: Subalpine, Coastal, Alpine
• Found In: Wallowas, Olympic Np, Mt. Rainier Np, N Cascades Np, West Gorge, Steens
• Native: Yes