TUFTED SAXIFRAGE 



Saxifraga caespitosa Linnaeus 



Tufted saxifrage grows among disintegrating rocks, usually where 

 moisture is seeping through from the slopes above. One of its pecu- 

 liarities is the tuft of green leaves at the base of each of the dainty 

 flower stems, which are usually arranged in a graceful way. This species 

 is very variable in size, and the most reduced alpine form is shown in 

 the illustration. 



Tufted saxifrage ranges through Canada to Greenland and west- 

 ward to Alaska. It is found also in northern Asia and Europe. 



The sketch was made from a specimen obtained on the mountain 

 slopes above the head waters of Johnson Creek, twenty miles by trail 

 northeast of Lake Louise, Alberta, at an altitude of 7,000 feet. 



PLATE 184 



