Siberian Saxifrage

Common on moist rocky slopes in shady areas or on rocks in stream beds, in upper Swat, Kaghan, Gilgit, Baltistan and Kashmir areas from 3500-5500 m. Resembles the previous species but generally smaller in stature and leaf size and with fewer leaf lobes.

Lozinskaya in (Kom.,Fl.URSS.9:172.1939) describes as Saxifraga mollis Sm. plants similar to Saxifraga sibirica but with narrower and longer 3-nerved petals. R.R. Stewart 19959, 7263½, Koelz 1266, M. Nath 1538 have 3-5-nerved petals and the shape of the petals is not always constant. Therefore I have treated Saxifraga mollis Sm. conspecific with Saxifraga sibirica and not as an independant species.

Herb, 7-30 cm tall, pubescent. Basal leaves 5-35 mm broad, reniform, with 5-7 lobes; upper most cauline leaves subsessile, trilobed to ovate; sparsely pubescent to glabrous; basal leaf petiole, 2.5-4 cm long, glandular; bulbils in basal leaf axils. Flowers white, 1-6, pedicels densely villous. Bracts ovate, 3 mm long. Sepals 3-4 mm long, oblong, acute, glandular-pubescent. Petals 1-1.3 cm, obovate, cuneate at the base, 3-7-nerved. Ovary superior. Seeds oblong; testa minutely reticulate.

Stem 6.5-25 cm tall, densely glandular pilose. Basal leaves with petiole 1.2-4.5 cm, glandular pilose; leaf blade reniform, 0.7-1.8 × 1-2.7 cm, margin 7-9-lobed; lobes ovate or broadly so to broadly orbicular, glandular pilose. Cauline leaves with petiole 1-9 mm; leaf blade reniform or broadly ovate to broadly orbicular, 4.5-15 mm × 0.5-2 cm, glandular pilose, margin 5-9-lobed, base reniform or cuneate to truncate. Cyme corymbose, 2.3-17 cm, 2-13-flowered, rarely flower solitary; pedicels slender, 1.5-4 cm, glandular pilose. Sepals erect, lanceolate to oblong, 3-4 × 0.6-1.8 mm, abaxially and marginally glandular pubescent, veins 3-5, not, partly, or fully confluent at apex, apex obtuse or acute. Petals white, obovate to narrowly so, 0.6-1.5 cm × 1.5-4.7 mm, 3-8 veined, base gradually contracted into a claw. Stamens 2.5-5.5 mm. Carpels connate proximally, 2.6-4.9 mm; ovary ovoid, 1.8-3 mm; styles 0.8-2 mm; stigma small. Fl. and fr. May-Nov. 2n = 16, 26.

E. Europe, C. Asia, Himalaya (Kashmir to Nepal), Tibet, Mongolia, Siberia, N. China.

Distribution: Siberia, Europe, N. & C. Asia, W. Himalayas.

S Gansu (Wen Xian), NW Hebei, N Heilongjiang (Heihe Shi), W Hubei, Hunan (Xinglong), Nei Mongol, S Shaanxi, C Shandong (Tai Shan), E Shanxi, Sichuan, Xinjiang (Hami Xian, Shawan Xian, Taxkorgan Tajik Zizhixian), Xizang, NW Yunnan [India, Kashmir, Mongolia, Nepal, Russia].

4100-5000 m

Fl.Per.: Late June-August.

Forests, scrub, alpine meadows, rock clefts; 800-5100 m.

Lobaria sibirica (Linnaeus) Haworth; Saxifraga pekinensis Maximowicz; S. sibirica var. bockiana Engler; S. sibirica var. eusibirica Engler & Irmscher; S. sibirica var. pekinensis (Maximowicz) Engler & Irmscher; S. sibirica var. pycnoloba Franchet; S. sibirica var. schindleri Engler & Irmscher.

Saxifraga radiata Small
Saxifraga exilis Stephan ; Sternb. 1st Suppl. Rev. Saxifr. 8. 1822. Not 5". exilis Poll. 1816. Saxifraga elegans Sternb. Suppl. Rev. Saxifr. 2 : 34. 1831. Not 5". elegans Zeyh. 1824. Saxifraga sibirica Hook. Fl. Bor. Am. 1 : 246. 1832. Not S. sibirica I,. 1753,
Stems 18-28 cm. tall, sparingly glandular-pubescent, somewhat gregarious ; leaf -blades reniform or orbicular-reniform in outline, 11-22 mm. wide, those of the basal and lower cauline leaves long-petioled, 5-7-lobed, those of the upper cauline 3-5-lobed; flowers 2-7 together or solitary, none replaced by bulblets; hypanthium 3-3.5 mm. long at maturity; sepals oblong, 2-2.5 mm. long; petals oblong, 7-8 mm. long, clawless; follicles 7-8 mm. long.
Type locality : Siberia.
Distribution : Islands and mainland about Bering Sea.

Saxifraga laurentiana Seringe, in DC. Prodr. 4 : "6^. 1830
Saxifraga rivularis hyperborea Bugler, Monogr. Saxifr. 105. 1872.
Saxifraga rivularis pur pur ascens I^ange, Consp. Fl. Groenl. 62. 1880.
Stems 3-8.5 cm. tall, tufted, glabrous or finely glandular-pubescent ; leafblades reniform in outline, 3.5-12 mm. broad, thick, mainly 3-lobed, those of the stem-leaves sometimes entire, those of the basal and lower cauline long-petioled ; hypanthium 2-3.5 mm. long at maturity ; sepals ovate, 1.5-2.5 mm. long, obtuse ; petals oblong, sometimes broadly so, or oblong-cuneate, 'h-^ mm. long, clawless; follicles 6-6.5 mm. long.
Type locality : Lapland.
Distribution : Circumboreal, ranging southward in North America to the White Mountains, and in the Rocky Mountains to Montana.