Saxifraga oppositifolia L.

Widely distributed in the Alps of Europe, the Arctic regions and Asia, This species is extremely diverse in habit, size and colour of flower, shape and ciliation of leaf. The following subspecies occurs in our regions.

Densely tufted; procumbent or ascending, profusely branching stems, with densely imbricate leaves. Leaves 2-5 mm long, opposite or alternate, obovate, ovate or subelliptic, minutely ciliate, apex flattened above, 1-pitted, keeled. below. Flowers terminal, solitary, shortly pedicellate. Sepals 2 mm long, basally adnate, ovate, obtuse, very sparsely glandular. Petals reddish to pink or purplish, clawed, 2-2½ times the length of sepals. Carpels almost free; styles long.

Plants many branched, ca. 6 cm tall, with shoots forming mats or cushions. Flowering stem brown pilose. Shoot leaves decussate, imbricate, aggregated into a rosette, gemmiferous at leaf axils, subobovate, 3.5-4 × 1.6-2.3 mm, subleathery, both surfaces glabrous, chalk gland 1, margin pilose, apex obtuse. Cauline leaves opposite, remote, subobovate, 4.2-4.5 × 2.6-2.9 mm, subleathery, both surfaces glabrous, chalk gland 1, margin pilose, apex obtuse. Flower solitary; pedicel ca. 3 mm, brown pilose. Sepals erect, ovate to elliptic-ovate, ca. 5 × 3 mm, leathery, both surfaces glabrous, veins 6 or 7, partly or fully confluent at apex, margin pilose, apex obtuse. Petals purple, narrowly obovate-spatulate, ca. 1.2 × 0.5 cm, ca. 7-veined, base gradually narrowed into a claw ca. 3.5 mm, apex retuse. Stamens ca. 7 mm. Ovary subellipsoid, ca. 2.7 mm, with an obscure nectary disc; styles ca. 6.5 mm. Fl. Jul-Aug. 2n = 26, 52.

Xinjiang (Kunlun Shan, Taxkorgan Tajik Zizhixian, Tomar), W Xizang [Kashmir, Mongolia, Russia; Europe, North America].

Alpine rock crevices, cliff ledges; 3900-5600 m.

Antiphylla asiatica (Hayek) Losinskaja; A. oppositifolia (Linnaeus) Fourreau; Saxifraga asiatica Hayek; S. oppositifolia subsp. asiatica (Hayek) Engler & Irmscher.