390 LII. SAXIFRAGACE^. (C. B. Clarke.) - [Saxifraga. 



2. SAXIFRACA. Linn. 



Herbs, mostly small perennials. Radical leaves often rosulate ; stem leaves 

 alternate (in Sect. Porphyrion subopposite), exstipulate, petiole sheathing at base. 

 Floivers corymbose or paniculate or reduced to 3-1 ; white or yellow, rarely red. 

 Calyx adnate to the ovary at base (rarely free) 5-fid, imbricate. Petals 5, peri- 

 gynous. Stamens 10 (rarely 5) perigynous. Carpels 2 (very rarely 3-5) united 

 below, narrowed upwards into a style, stigma lateral subcapitate ; ovules numer- 

 ous, axile. Ripe Carpels dry, opening at the top ventrally. Seeds small, ellipsoid 

 in Indian species. DISTKIB. Species 160, almost all in the Northern Hemi- 

 sphere ; inhabiting cool temperate, and especially alpine, localities. 



SECT. I. Nephrophyllum. Calyx adnate to the base of the ovary, lobea 

 erect in fruit. Petals white, much exceeding the calyx. Stems erect leafy. Ra- 

 dical leaves petioled, reniform, lobed. Bracts 2, unequal at base of peduncles. 

 In the Indian species the surculi are represented by bulbils, covered with ful- 

 vous hairs, forming a cluster at the base of the stem. 



1. S. odcntophylla, H.f. fy T. in Journ. Linn. Soc. ii. 64 ; no bulbils 

 in the upper axils, radical leaves crenate with 7-12 shallow rounded lobes, lobes 

 of stem-leaves often triangular acute. Wall. Cat. 454, partly. S. asarifolia, 

 Sternb. Saxifrag. Suppl. t. 24. 



WESTERN TEMPERATE HIMALAYA, alt. 10,000 ft.; Kumaon, Blinkworth; Kulu, 

 Edgeworth ; Grurwhal, Falconer ; Lahul, Jaeschke. 



Laxly villose, 6-10 in. high. Flowers 3-6. Upper leaves few, sometimes 0. In 

 the ripe fruit the calyx -tube is short eampanulate or funnel-shaped ; the lobes are 

 ovate-linear, approximate, with acute sinuses. This species bears a general resem- 

 blance to S.granulata, but the calyx in fruit is very different. It is more difficult to 

 separate it from S. sibirica. Engler (Monog. Saxifrag. 99) has taken Sternb. Saxi- 

 frag. Suppl. t. 25 as the type of S. odontophylla, which should rather be referred to 

 8. sibirica. 



2. S. sibirica, Linn. ; DC. Prodr. iv. 36 ; no bulbils in" the upper axils, 

 radical leaves with 5-7 acute or obtuse lobes, upper stem leaves often simple 

 entire oblong or ovate acute. Sternl). Rev. Saxifrag. t. 25, f. 1 ; H.f.$ T. in 

 Journ. Linn. Soc. ii. 64 ; Boiss. Fl. Orient, ii. 807 ; Engler Monog. Saxifrag. 

 101. S. odontophylla, Wall. Cat. 454,partim. 



WESTERN HIMALAYA and KASHMIR, alt, 9000-14,000 ft., frequent; Boyle, Fal- 

 coner, T. Thomson, &c. DISTRIB. From Kashmir to the Caucasus and to the 

 Altai. 



Stem pubescent, 6-8 in high. Flowers 1-10. Calyx-tube in the ripe fruit short, 

 eampanulate or funnel-shaped ; lobes ovate-linear, sinuses narrow. Seeds oblong, sub- 

 angular, quite smooth, testa minutely reticulate. Flowers and capsules smaller than 

 those of S. odontophylla. All the Indian specimens referred to S. granulata, Linn, by 

 H.f. $ T. in Journ. Linn. Soc. ii. 63 are here reduced to S. sibirica. In the ripe fruit 

 of S. granulata the calyx is divided only about half way down, the tube is hemi- 

 spherical, the lobes are oblong distant with rounded sinuses. 



3. S. cerxma, Linn. ; DC. Prodr. i. 36; bulbils in the upper axils, flower 

 often terminal solitary all the lower flowers of the raceme being replaced by 

 sessile.^ purple bulbils, or flowers 2-3 pedicelled. Eng. Bot. t. 664 ; Dm in 

 Trans. Linn. Soc. xiii. 364 ; H. f. $ T. in Journ. Linn. Soc. ii. 63 ; Engler 

 Monog. Saxifrag. 106. 



WESTERN HIMALAYA and WESTERN TIBET, alt. 14,000-17,000 ft. ; N. of Ladak, T. 

 Thomson, C. B. Clarke ; Nubra, Strachey ; Tanglang Pass, Heyde. DISTRIB. Alps of 

 Europe, Temperate and Arctic N. America and W. Asia. 



