Al Schneider's Rocky Mountains Plant Descriptions

Golden Saxifrage
Saxifraga chrysantha
Saxifrage family (Saxifragaceae)

Saxifraga chrysantha is smaller than Saxifraga flagellaris in most characteristics (overall height, flower size, leaf length) but the two are similar in a number of other characteristics: are very attractively symmetrical; stems and leaves are noticeably ; flowers are bright yellow; and both plants are minute beauties of rocky, . The red stems of Saxifraga chrysantha help attract attention to this quite small and lovely plant. You will find Saxifraga chrysantha high on mountain in the company of dozens of other species that make the so special. The bright yellow of the tiny flowers will be the first thing to attract your attention to this plant.

Asa Gray named this plant in 1877 from a specimen collected (probably in 1861) by his good friend and famous Colorado botanist, Charles Parry. The species was, said Parry, "especially abundant on Torrey's and Gray's Peaks at 11-14,000 feet." (As quoted in Welsh's "A Utah Flora".) "Chrysantha" is Greek for "golden flower."


©2009 John Marquis

Description

plants with stems from 1-3" tall, to . Leavers entire in and a few scattered on the flowering stems, these latter leaves smaller, . Flowers solitary to 3 on a stem. somewhat -, soon . Petals about 1/4" long, golden-yellow, oval to nearly , abruptly narrowed. a .

Field Marks

Minute, slender plant with tiny leaves in topped by one (usually) golden yellow flower.

© Al Schneider

ciliate -- fringed with hairs

rosette -- usually a dense cluster of leaves at the base of a plant.

A herb is a plant whose stems die back to the ground in the winter.

A perennial plant lives and blooms for many years.

orbicular -- Circular or nearly circular in outline.

reflexed -- bent sharply back or down.

tundra -- Land above tree line characterized by a short growing season, intense sun and wind, thin soils, very high snow fall and high rain fall. Contains low growing sedges, grasses, dwarf shrubs and herbs.

basal -- at the base, situated or attached at the base.

Glands are plant structures that secrete liquids, salts or other substances. Glands often appear as hairs with a drop of liquid at the end.

capsule -- a type of simple, dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. In most cases the capsule splits apart to release seeds.

fruit -- any seed-bearing structure in flowering plants. It is formed from the ovary after flowering.

Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom.

glabrous -- smooth, glossy, having no bristles or hair-like structures. Bald.

alpine -- above the tree line. Thin soil, rocks, short growing season, frost, winter snow.