Saxifraga aristulata Hook. fil. & Thoms.

Two varieties may be recognized. Two of the present authors (Gornall and Ohba) believe that Saxifraga macrostigma should be treated as a third variety of S. aristulata.

Herbs perennial, densely cespitose, 2-8.5(-11) cm tall. Stem ± brown crisped glandular villous. Basal leaves with petiole 4-6 mm, margin brown crisped glandular villous; leaf blade narrowly ovate, oblong, or linear, 4-8.2 × 0.7-1.3 mm, both surfaces glabrous, sometimes margin glandular ciliate, apex acute, often aristate, sometimes glandular. Proximal cauline leaves larger than distal ones; petiole 1.5-2 mm, margin brown crisped glandular villous; leaf blade linear, 6-7.5 × 0.5-1.8 mm, both surfaces glabrous, sometimes margin glandular ciliate, apex aristate, sometimes glandular; distal leaves sessile, linear, 3.8-7.5 × 0.5-3 mm, abaxially sometimes sparsely brown glandular hairy, margin glandular ciliate, apex shortly aristate, sometimes glandular. Flower solitary or rarely cyme 2-flowered; pedicel 0.7-12 mm, dark brown glandular hairy, rarely brown crisped glandular villous. Sepals erect, then spreading to reflexed, elliptic or ovate to broadly ovate, 2-2.5 × 1.2-2 mm, glabrous, rarely glandular at margin, veins 3 or 4, not confluent at apex, apex obtuse or acute. Petals yellow, ovate, obovate, or elliptic to oblong, 4-6 × 1.9-2 mm, 2-callose near base, 3-5-veined, base with a claw 0.4-1 mm, apex obtuse to acute. Stamens 2.5-5 mm. Ovary subsuperior, ovoid, 2.4-2.5 mm; styles 1.4-1.6 mm. Fl. and fr. Jul-Oct. 2n = 16.

Himalaya (Kumaun to Sikkim).

SW Sichuan, Xizang, N Yunnan [Bhutan, N India, Nepal, Sikkim].

4200-5600 m

Forests, forest margins, alpine meadows, rocky hillsides, stony ground, rock crevices; 3000-5000 m.