«C'est presque un miracle, mais à 4505 m, à 40 m sous le sommet Dom dans le canton du Valais, ont été récemment découvert des petits coussins plantureux et florissants de Saxifraga oppositifolia», ... Saxifraga oppositifolia, the purple saxifrage or purple mountain saxifrage, [1] is a species of plant that is very common in the high Arctic and also some high mountainous areas further south, including northern Britain, the Alps and the Rocky Mountains. A popular plant in alpine gardens, Saxifraga oppositifolia (Purple Mountain Saxifrage) is a mat-forming evergreen perennial producing a dense carpet of tiny, overlapping, dark green leaves.

Understanding the Context

The Purple saxifrage, known scientifically as Saxifraga oppositifolia, emerges as a vibrant sign of spring in the arctic and alpine regions. Its eye-catching magenta or purple flowers break through the snow’s retreat, bringing life to the stark landscapes of high altitudes. Saxifraga oppositifolia Authors: L. Botanical Description This polymorphic species varies greatly over its vast range.

Key Insights

It forms a loose mat of leafy stems or sometimes a more or less compact cushion. Leaves 2-6mm long, opposite, obovate, dull dark green with one to five small lime glands. Saxifraga oppositifolia Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 402.

Final Thoughts

1753. Plants mat- or cushion-forming (with trailing, ± woody stems), not stoloniferous, rhizomatous. Saxifraga oppositifolia L. purple mountain saxifrage ... General Subordinate Taxa Wetland Related Links Sources ... Download Distribution Data View Print Options Infraspecies: ssp.

oppositifolia – purple mountain saxifrage, purple saxifrage, twinflowered saxifrage Alaska to Oregon east to Idaho, Montana and Wyoming; in the Olympics and Cascades in Washington and the Wallowas in Oregon