SAXIFRAGA STELLARIS. STARRY SAXIFRAGE.
SAXIFRAGA stellaris ; foliis oblongo-cuneiformibus angulato-serratis, scapo ramoso, petalis oblongis
acutiusculis, capsula supera.
SAXIFRAGA stellaris. Linn. Sp. Pl. p. 572. Fl. Suec. p. 141. Suds. Angl. p. 179. L ig h tf.
Scot. p. 220. With. Bot. A rr. ed. 4. vol, 2. p. 393. Oed. Fl. Dan. t. 23. Wahl. Fl.
Lapp. p. 114. Smith FL B rit. vol. Q.p. 448. Engl. Bot. t. 167. Hoffm. Germ. vol. 1.
p. 192. Decand. FL Fr. ed. 3. vol. 3. p. 379. Fl. Gail. Syn. p . 319. Willd. Sp. P L
vol. 2. p. 644. Pers. Syn. P L vol. 1. p. 488. Alton Hort. Kew. cd. 2. vol. 3. p. 66.
SAXIFRAGA foliis rhomboideis, acute serratis, caule nudo, ramoso. Hall. Helv. n. 973.
GEUM palustre minus, foliis oblongis crenatis. R aii Syn. p. 354.
Class and Ord e r . D E CANDRIA D IG Y N IA .
[Natural Ord er. SAXIFRAGÆ, Juss. Decand.]
Ch a r . Ord . Calyx adhærens aut rarius liber, limbo quinque-lobo ; petala quatuor ad quinque apice calicis inserta,
ejusdem laciniis alterna, interdum nulla ; stamina cum petalis iiiserta, eorum numero dupla aut æqualia • styli
duo persistentes ; capsula birostris, bivalvis, uni- aut bilocularis, poro terminali dehiscens, valvis in bilocularibus
introrsum flexis ; semina dissepimento aut imæ capsulæ inserta ; albumen camosum ; embryo rectus ; radicula
infera.;—Herbas habitu vario. Decand.
Ge n . Ciia r . Calyx quinquefidus, persistens. Corolla pentapetala. Capsula birostris, uni- aut bilocularis, poly-
sperma, inter rostra dehiscens.
R ad ix longe fibrosa, perennis.
Folia in pluribus rosulis vel casspitibus non raro elon-
gatis collecta, oblongo-cuneiformia, paree pilosa,
basi attenuata, apice angulato-serrata, laste viri-
dia, inferiora non raro subtus purpurascentia.
Scapus bipollicaris ad spithamasum, teres, subpilosus,
interne simplex, superne paniculatim ramosus,
paucifiorus.
Bracteæ lanceolatas, simplices vel bi-trifidas.
F lores ante expansionem nutantes.
Calicis Foliola ovata, purpureo-viridia, glabriuscula,
demum reflexa.
P etala quinque, alba, oblonga, acutiuscula, basi in un-
guem contracta, trinervia, infra medium maculis
duabus transversis flavis.
Stamina : Filamenta decern, subulata, e basi germi-
nis : Antheræ rotundatæ, purpureas. Pollen fla-
vèseens.
PlSTlLLUM : Germen superum, subrotunddm,. prope
basin annulo purpureo. Styli duo, incurvi, demum
recurvi. Stigma obtusum.
P erica rpium : Capsula ovato-rotundata, birostris, inter
rostra reflexa foramine dehiscens, bilocularis,
bivalvis, dissepimento medio bipartibilis.
R eceptaculum spongiosum, dissepimento utrinque
longitudinaliter aflixum.
Semin a numerosa, minuta, oblonga, hinc parum con-
cava, fusca, striata, striis hispidis. Albumen se-
mini conforme, album, carnosum.
E mbryo cylindraceus, rectus, radicula inféra.
Root long, fibrous, perennial. .
L eaves collected into many frequently elongated ro-
sules or tufts, oblongo-cuneiform, slightly hairy,
attenuated at the base, at the apex angulato-ser-
rate, deep green, the lower ones not unfrequently
purple beneath.
Scape two inches to a span in length, round, somewhat
hairy, below simple, above branched in a pani-
cled manner, with few flowers.
Bracteas lanceolate, simple, bi- or trifid.
Flowers before opening nodding.
Leaflets of the Calyx ovate, purplish green, smooth,
at length reflexed.
P etals five, white, oblong, somewhat acute, a t the base
contracted into a claw, three-nerved, below the
middle having two transverse yellow spots.
Stamens : Filaments ten, subulate, from the base of the
■ germen : Anthers roundish, purple. Pollen yellowish.
P i s t il : Germen superior, roundish, near the base
having a purple ring. Styles two, incurved, at
length recurved. Stigma obtuse.
PERICARP: Capsule between ovate and round, biro-
strate, between the reflexed beaks bursting with
an aperture,, two-celled, two-valved, with the
dissepiment dividing down the middle.
Receptacle spongy, fixed longitudinally on each side
of the dissepiment.
Seeds numerous, minute, oblong, on one side slightly
concave, brown, striated, with the stria; hispid..
Albumen the same shape as the seed, white,
Embryo cylindrical, straight, the radicle inferior.
Fig. 1. Flower. Fig. 2. Anther. Fig. 3. Germen. Fig. 4. Petal. Fig. 5. Capsule. Fig. 6. Capsule cut open
to show the receptacle in each cell. Fig. 7. Seed. Fig. 8. The same cut open.—All more or less magnified.
This is perhaps the most common of our alpine Saxifrages, and is found by the sides of rivulets among wet rocks
on the highest o f the mountains of Wales, Yorkshire, Cumberland, Westmoreland and Scotland, flowering in June
and July.
In Spitzbergen, in North America, in Norway, Lapland, and Switzerland, this plant is also to be met with, in
spots approaching very near, and sometimes exceeding the limits of perpetual snow. In Lapland, Wahlenberg
remarks, that when by an unfavourable summer the snow has not been dissolved, though the plants are for the
most part destroyed, especially the Andromeda, the Azalea, Empetrum nigrum, and the various Junci and casspi-
tose grasses,—yet that our little Saxifrage is able with a very few others to support this icy ordeal, and after such severe
treatment is the very first- to revive.
I t may be readily known from the Saxifraga nivalis, to which, of all our British species, i t is most nearly allied,
by its panicled head of flowers, and by the longer and much less fleshy leaves.
The spots upon the germen are just in that part of it where the anthers lie before the blossom is expanded, and
this circumstance perhaps may be the cause of them.
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