Saxifraga ferruginea
Encyclopedia
Saxifraga ferruginea is a species of saxifrage known by the common names russethair saxifrage and rusty saxifrage. It is native to western North America from Alaska
and northwestern Canada to northern California
to Wyoming
, where it can be found in moist, rocky habitat in mountainous areas. It is a perennial herb growing from a caudex
and rhizome
system and producing a basal rosette of leaves. Each leaf is up to 6 centimeters long, thick and fleshy with large teeth along the edges. The inflorescence
arises on a slender, hairy peduncle
up to 40 centimeters tall. Thin branches bear flowers and reproductive bulb
ils. Each flower has spade-shaped white petals, the upper ones dotted with gold.
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
and northwestern Canada to northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
, where it can be found in moist, rocky habitat in mountainous areas. It is a perennial herb growing from a caudex
Caudex
A caudex is a form of stem morphology appearing as a thickened, short, perennial stem that is either underground or near ground level . It may be swollen for the purpose of water storage, especially in xerophytes...
and rhizome
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
system and producing a basal rosette of leaves. Each leaf is up to 6 centimeters long, thick and fleshy with large teeth along the edges. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
arises on a slender, hairy peduncle
Peduncle (botany)
In botany, a peduncle is a stem supporting an inflorescence, or after fecundation, an infructescence.The peduncle is a stem, usually green and without leaves, though sometimes colored or supporting small leaves...
up to 40 centimeters tall. Thin branches bear flowers and reproductive bulb
Bulb
A bulb is a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf bases. The leaves often function as food storage organs during dormancy.A bulb's leaf bases, known as scales, generally do not support leaves, but contain food reserves to enable the plant to survive adverse conditions. At the center of the bulb is...
ils. Each flower has spade-shaped white petals, the upper ones dotted with gold.