Image of Saxifraga squarrosa Sieber

Description:

Slo.: nasreni kreč - Habitat: Stony alpine pasture, modestly south inclined mountain slope, growing on large calcareous boulders scattered around, full sun, windswept terrain, exposed to direct rain, average precipitations ~ 3.000 mm/year, average temperature 1-3 deg C, elevation 1.975 m (6.500 feet), alpine phytogeographical region. - Substratum: soil in rock crevices of stony faces and large boulders. - Comment: Saxifraga squarrosa is endemic to southeast Alps and one of the most beautiful, high-elevation, late-summer flowering plants in Julian Alps. It is quite a common species on Mangart flats. One can find it almost on every big enough calcareous boulder, which are abundantly laying at the foot of Mt.Mangart's west face. A single small and dense cushion can often have more than hundred relatively to the leaves quite large flowers. Sometimes, like miracle, a cushion apparently grows right from solid rock. Indeed, very small rock crevices suffice to this plant to thrive successfully under harsh high-mountain sun rays and on the most exposed and wind and rain swept places. A very similar close-relative, Saxifraga caesia, also grows in the same region and on similar places. It differs from S. squarrosa mostly in details of very tiny leaves and flower steam hairs. Reliably distinguishing between both species without a good hand magnifier is sometimes quite a challenge. - Ref.:(1) M. A. Fischer, W. Adler, K. Oswald, Exkursionsflora Oesterreich, Liechtenstein and Suedtirol, LO Landesmuseen, Linz, Austria (2005), p 393. (2) A.Martinči et all., Mala Flora Slovenije, Tehnična Zaloba Slovenije (2007), p 239.