Saxifraga cuneifolia

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Saxifraga cuneifolia
Saxifragaceae - Saxifraga cuneifolia-1.JPG
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Saxifragaceae
Genus: Saxifraga
Species:
S. cuneifolia
Binomial name
Saxifraga cuneifolia
L.
Synonyms [1]
  • Saxifraga cuneifolia subsp. robusta D.A. Webb

Saxifraga cuneifolia, the lesser Londonpride, [2] shield-leaved saxifrage or spoon-leaved saxifrage, is a herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the Saxifragaceae family.

Contents

Etymology

Saxifraga cuneifolia was first described by Carl Linnaeus in the 1759 10th edition of Systema Naturae . The Latin word "Saxifraga" means literally "stone-breaker", from Latin "saxum" meaning "stone" + "frangere" meaning "to break". It is usually explained by reference to certain saxifrages' ability to settle in the cracks of rocks. The species' Latin epithet cuneifolia means “wedge-shaped leaves”.

Description

Saxifraga cuneifolia reaches on average 10–25 centimetres (4–10 in) in height. [3] The stem is woody and creeping. The leaves are alternate and arranged in a basal rosette. They are fleshy and slightly leathery, wedge-shaped, obovate or roundish and notched on the margins. The flowers are gathered in a loose and irregularly branched inflorescence, with 5-15 flowers. [3] The five petals are white, 2.5 to 4 mm long. [3] The flowering period extends from May through July. [3] Pollination is by insects. The fruit is a capsule.

Distribution

Lesser Londonpride is a native of the mountains of central and southern Europe, from northwestern Spain over the Pyrenees, the Cevennes, the Alps and the Apennines, up to the eastern and southern Carpathians and the north of Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. [3]

Habitat

This plant grows in woods (mainly beech or chestnut), on shaded rocks and boulders. It occurs mainly in humid areas with humus rich soil, at an altitude of 400–1,600 metres (1,300–5,200 ft) above sea level. [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Saxifraga</i> Genus of flowering plants in the family Saxifragaceae (saxifrages)

Saxifraga is the largest genus in the family Saxifragaceae, containing about 440 species of holarctic perennial plants, known as saxifrages or rockfoils. The Latin word saxifraga means literally "stone-breaker", from Latin saxum + frangere. It is usually thought to indicate a medicinal use for treatment of urinary calculi, rather than breaking rocks apart.

<i>Saxifraga cernua</i>

Saxifraga cernua, the drooping saxifrage, nodding saxifrage or bulblet saxifrage, is a flower common all over the High Arctic. It stretches further south in mountainous areas of the Alps, Norway, Iceland, Siberia and Alaska.

<i>Saxifraga oppositifolia</i>

Saxifraga oppositifolia, the purple saxifrage or purple mountain saxifrage, 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.

<i>Saxifraga</i> × <i>urbium</i>

London pride, Saxifraga × urbium, is a perennial garden flowering plant. Alternative names for it include St. Patrick's cabbage, whimsey, prattling Parnell, and look up and kiss me. Before 1700 the “London pride” appellation was given to the sweet William.

<i>Pimpinella saxifraga</i>

Pimpinella saxifraga, known as burnet-saxifrage, solidstem burnet saxifrage, lesser burnet is a plant species in the family Apiaceae, a native of the British Isles and temperate Europe and Western Asia. It is neither a burnet, which its leaves resemble, nor a saxifrage although it has a similar herbal effect as a diuretic.

<i>Saxifraga stellaris</i>

Saxifraga stellaris, the starry saxifrage or hairy kidney-wort, is an Arctic–alpine species of saxifrage. It produces panicles of 5–10 white flowers on a stem up to 20 cm (7.9 in) tall, rising from a basal leaf rosette. One subspecies is found from eastern Canada to Russia, including the British Isles, while another is found in the mountains of southern Europe.

<i>Banksia obovata</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to Western Australia

Banksia obovata, commonly known as wedge-leaved dryandra, is a species of shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has hairy stems, serrated, wedge-shaped to egg-shaped leaves with the lower end towards the base, cream-coloured or pale yellow flowers in heads of up to 100, and egg-shaped follicles. It is found in near-coastal areas in the south of the state.

<i>Banksia heliantha</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to Western Australia

Banksia heliantha, commonly known as oak-leaved dryandra, is a species of shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has hairy stems, serrated, egg-shaped to wedge-shaped leaves, golden yellow flowers and partly woolly follicles.

<i>Saxifraga paniculata</i>

Saxifraga paniculata is an alpine species of flowering plant in the saxifrage family, with native distribution in the temperate northern hemisphere. Common names include alpine saxifrage, encrusted saxifrage, lifelong saxifrage, lime-encrusted saxifrage, livelong saxifrage, White Mountain saxifrage, and silver saxifrage.

<i>Saxifraga stolonifera</i>

Saxifraga stolonifera is a perennial flowering plant known by several common names, including creeping saxifrage, strawberry saxifrage, creeping rockfoil, as well as the quite ambiguous Aaron's beard, mother of thousands, roving sailor, wandering Jew, and strawberry begonia or strawberry geranium.

<i>Saxifraga tridactylites</i>

Saxifraga tridactylites, the rue-leaved saxifrage or "nailwort", is a species of plant in the family Saxifragaceae.

<i>Grevillea acanthifolia</i>

Grevillea acanthifolia, commonly known as the Acanthus-leaved grevillea, is a plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is a shrub with stiff, prickly, divided leaves and pink to purple "toothbrush" flowers.

<i>Eremophila cuneifolia</i>

Eremophila cuneifolia, commonly known as pinyuru, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the north-west of Western Australia. It is a spreading, sticky shrub with wedge-shaped leaves, coloured sepals and usually deep purple flowers.

<i>Chrysosplenium alternifolium</i>

Chrysosplenium alternifolium is a species of flowering plant in the saxifrage family known as the alternate-leaved golden-saxifrage. It is a mat-forming perennial of wet places that grows between 5 and 15 cm tall. It blooms from March onward.

<i>Saxifraga rivularis</i>

Saxifraga rivularis is a species of saxifrage known by several common names, including highland saxifrage, weak saxifrage, alpine brook saxifrage, and pygmy saxifrage.

<i>Saxifraga aspera</i>

Saxifraga aspera is a species of saxifrage known by the common name of rough saxifrage. In German it is known as Rauhhaariger Steinbrech. It is placed in section Trachyphyllum of the genus Saxifraga. There are two subspecies, Saxifraga aspera subsp. aspera and Saxifraga aspera subsp. micrantha. It is a plant of the pan-Arctic tundra and is also found in Europe at moderately high altitudes in the Alps, Pyrenees and northern Apennines.

<i>Saxifraga bryoides</i>

Saxifraga bryoides is a species of saxifrage known by the common name of mossy saxifrage. In German it is known as Moosartiger Steinbrech. It is an inhabitant of the Arctic tundra but it also grows in the Alps and other European mountain ranges at high altitudes.

<i>Saxifraga globulifera</i>

Saxifraga globulifera is a flowering plant of the genus Saxifraga and the family Saxifragaceae.

<i>Saxifraga rotundifolia</i>

Saxifraga rotundifolia, common name round-leaved saxifrage, is a flowering herb and alpine plant of the genus Saxifraga.

<i>Saxifraga</i> × <i>arendsii</i>

Saxifraga × arendsii, the mossy saxifrage, is a perennial garden flowering plant.

References

  1. Synonyms in Anthos
  2. "BSBI List 2007". Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-01-25. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Pignatti S. - Flora d'Italia – Edagricole – 1982. Vol. I, pag. 509