SAXIFRAGA CARPETANA ssp. GRAECA

Family:- SAXIFRAGACEAE/Sect. SAXIFRAGA/Subsect Saxifraga/Series

Saxifraga

Common Names:- None

Synonyms:- Saxifraga graeca

Meaning:- Saxifraga (L) Stone-breaker.

Carpetana (L) Of the Carpentano tribe from the Toledo area of Spain.

Graeca (L) Grecian. Greek

General description:- Summer-dormant perennial, with rather large, onion-shaped

bulbils in the axils of the basal leaves at ground level.

Stem:- Flowering stem 10-40 m, erect, usually solitary, sometimes a few together

to form a lax clump, with short-spreading (patent) glandular-downy hairs

(pubescent).

Leaves:- Basal leaves ± in a rosette, with soft, multicellular, glandular and

eglandular hairs; leaf-stalk (petiole) 1.5-2 times as long as the leaf-blade (lamina),

widened above; lamina 10-20 x 2-25 mm, heart-shaped (cordate), flaccid, with 5 -13

shallow lobes, Cauline leaves ± stemless (sessile), fan-shaped (flabellate), without

bulbils, the upper ones gradually smaller and more distant.

Flowers:- Inflorescence a rather compact cyme of 5-11 flowers; flower stalks

(pedicels) up to 20 mm. Sepals 2.5-3.5 run, ovate-oblong, subobtuse, green,

glandular-pubescent. Petals 8-12 mm, narrowly obovate, obtuse, 3- to 5-veined,

pure white, sparsely glandular-pubescent on upper surface. Stamens less than half

as long as the petals. Ovary 3/4 inferior; styles very short.

Fruit:- Seeds 0.5 : 0.35 mm, ovoid, brown, with longitudinal rows of short papillae.

Key features:-

1) With rather large, onion-shaped bulbils in the axils of the basal leaves at ground

level.

2) Lamina 10-20 x 2-25 mm, orbicular-reniform, flaccid, with 5 -13 shallow lobes,

3) Petals 8-12 mm, narrowly obovate, obtuse, 3- to 5-veined, pure white, sparsely

glandular-pubescent on upper surface.

Habitat:- Seasonally damp places, open woodland and rub, rock ledges in ravines,

etc., on various substrates, 0-1200(-1750) m.

Distribution:- Almost throughout Greece although rare in the S Aegean area and

the Ionian islands. Spain and N Portugal, NW Africa, S Italy (incl. Sicily) and

Balkan Peninsula from Montenegro and Serbia to the Aegean islands. On Crete

Known from only a few locations in the west. Rare.

Flowering time:- Mar-June.

Photos by:- Dr. Armin Jagel

FAMILY and GENUS DESCRIPTIONS

SAXIFRAGACEAE

General description:- Herbs, mostly perennial.

Flowers:- 4- or 5-merous, usually in cymes (rarely solitary or in racemes). Petals

usually 4 or 5; sometimes absent. Stamens twice as many as the sepals, or rarely

equal in number or fewer. Carpels 2; united below but usually divergent above;

styles free. Ovary superior, semi-inferior or almost inferior.

Fruit:- A capsule. Seeds numerous.

Key features:-

1) Leaves not more than 6 cm wide.

2) Hypanthium united with lower part of ovary, or absent.

SAXIFRAGA

General description:- Herbs, sometimes rather woody at the base; usually

perennial, rarely annual or biennial.

Leaves:- Simple, but often deeply dissected and sometimes apparently ternate;

usually alternate or basal, rarely opposite, exstipulate; foliar glands (other than

hydathodes), if present, superficial or on hairs, not immersed as in Bergenia.

Flowers:- 5-merous, usually in cymes or panicles, rarely solitary in leaf-axils.

Petals present; stamens 10; ovary superior or, more often, semi-inferior or inferior;

placentation axile.

Key features:-

1) Petals entire or emarginate.

2) Leaves not more than 6 cm wide.

3) Hypanthium united with lower part of ovary, or absent.

Sect. SAXIFRAGA

General description:- Usually perennial; habit varied, but usually with numerous

leafy shoots, forming a mat or cushion.

Leaves:- Alternate, fairly soft, often lobed or crenate, without calcareous

incrustation.

Flowers:- Petals usually white, more rarely pale or dull yellow, pink or red. Ovary

semi-inferior to inferior.

Subsect Saxifraga

General description:- Always perennial.

Leaves:- Most of the leaves lobed, or boldly crenate.

Series Saxifraga

General description:- Evergreen or summer-dormant, with bulbils in the axils of

the basal leaves, rarely also of the upper leaves.

Flowers:- Petals white, rarely tinged with pink.