About Saxifraga cespitosa L.
Saxifraga cespitosa L., commonly known as tufted alpine saxifrage or tufted saxifrage, is a species of flowering plant. It is common across many arctic high elevations, and occurs further south in mountainous regions of the Alps, Norway, Scotland, Wales, Iceland, Siberia, western North America, and Greenland. This plant forms dense tufts growing from a thick taproot, with very short stems that retain withered, dead leaves at their base. Its leaves have three to five lobes, and both the leaves and calyx bear trichomes in the form of glandular hairs. Flowering stems measure between 5 and 10 cm long, and carry one or two flowers each. Its petals are white, and are twice as long as the calyx lobes. Smaller specimens are fairly common; these have shorter stems, smaller yellowish-green petals, and may produce only a single flower per stem. Tufted saxifrage grows on ledges and in gravelly habitats. It was granted protected status in the UK in 1975 under the Conservation of Wild Creatures and Wild Plants Act.
