THE SAXIFRAGES 75 



some seven are confined to the High Alpine region, 

 and these we will reserve for a later chapter, p ( ^^^^ 



The habit of many of these Saxifrages is quite 

 typical of that of the majority of Alpine plants. The 

 plant is, so far as possible, buried in the scanty soil, 

 especially the roots and the very short stem. Above 

 the soil, one or more compact rosettes of leaves are 

 pressed close to the surface of the ground. These char- 

 acteristic rosettes often form a beautiful leaf-mosaic 

 (Plate XVI., Fig. 1), each leaf being arranged in 

 regard to its neighbours so as to cut off as little light 

 from it as possible. The really conspicuous part of 

 the plant is the flowering shoot, which often bears 

 several leaves and numerous flowers, and may vary 

 from a few inches to a foot or more in height. 



The individual species are not, as a whole, very 

 dissimilar, and in some cases may only be distinguished 

 with difficulty from one another. These plants are 

 thus perhaps less interesting than those of many 

 other Alpines. 



The Alpine Saxifrages may be divided into two 

 groups, the first of which, containing some six species, 

 has undivided leaves, bearing a row of conspicuous, 

 white chalk-glands along the margins. These glands 

 are clearly seen on Plate XVI., Fig. 1. 



In Saxifraga aizoon, Jacq. (the Evergreen Saxi- 

 frage) (Plate XVI., Fig. 1), the leaves are strap-shaped, 

 and each chalk-gland lies in a little notch on the 

 edge of the leaf. The glands themselves are really 

 invisible to the naked eye. All that we see here are 



