Saxifraga jacquemontiana Decne.

Grows on rocks, forming dense tufts, with leaves forming rosettes at tips of branches. A rock crevice plant, found from 4300-5000 m in the upper Kaghan and Baltistan areas.

Perennial, caespitose herb. Stems branched, 3-7 cm long, with densely imbricate leaves, forming rosettes at the tips. Leaves sessile, 4 mm long, broadly oblong, glandular-pubescent. Petals 5 mm long, yellow, broadly elliptic. Stamens as long as the sepals. Style very short; stigma capitate. Capsule ovoid.

Herbs perennial, ca. 2 cm tall. Shoots crowded, forming cushions, lignified. Flowering stem 3-4 mm, embedded among rosette leaves, not visible, glandular hairy, with 1 or 2 leaves. Shoot leaves imbricate, aggregated into a rosette, subspatulate, 5-5.2 × 1.5-1.7 mm, carnose, abaxially glabrous or distally glandular, adaxially and marginally glandular pilose, apex rounded to obtuse, long hairy. Cauline leaves elliptic, ca. 3.6 × 1.9 mm, carnose, abaxially glabrous or distally glandular, adaxially and marginally glandular pilose, apex rounded to obtuse, long hairy. Flower solitary; bract 1, suboblong, ca. 3 × 1.3 mm, both surfaces glabrous, margin glandular ciliate; pedicel ca. 0.5 mm, glandular pubescent. Sepals erect, ovate to narrowly so, ca. 3 × 1.2-2 mm, carnose, abaxially and marginally glandular hairy, veins 3, confluent at apex, apex acute. Petals yellow, obovate to elliptic, ca. 5 × 3 mm, 4- or 5-callose, 3-5-veined, base gradually narrowed into a claw 0.5-0.9 mm, apex retuse. Stamens ca. 3.5 mm. Ovary semi-inferior, ovoid, ca. 2.6 mm; styles ca. 1.5 mm. Fl. Jul-Aug. 2n = 16.

Himalaya (Kashmir to Bhutan).

Distribution: Alpine Himalayas (Kashmir to Sikkim).

SE Xizang (Mainling Xian, Mêdog Xian) [Bhutan, India, Kashmir, Nepal, Sikkim].

4800-5200 m

Fl.Per.: July-September.

Alpine rock crevices; 4000-5200 m.