Saxifraga cespitosa L.
Family: Saxifragaceae
Synonyms: Saxifraga cespitosa L. [orthographic variant];
Muscaria cespitosa (L.) Small; Saxafraga groenlandica L.; Saxifraga sileneflora
Sternberg ex Chamisso; Saxifraga uniflora R.Brown
Vernacular Name: Tufted alpine saxifrage
Discussion: The taxonomy and limits of infraspecific epithets within the variable
Saxifraga cespitosa is unclear. Some authors recognize minor variants
as varieties and major regional types as species, while others
on the more conservative (and more widely accepted) side do not
recognize the minor variants at all, and include regional entities
as varieties or subspecies. There are usually 5 varieties or subspecies
recognized.
Distribution: This species or complex of species is found throughout the Boreal
Arctic and extends south in the Alpine of western North America to Northern California, Northern Arizona, and
Northern New Mexico. Four similar species
in South America (i.e. S. adenodes Poeppig, S. magellanica [sensu
latu] Poiret, S. boussingaultii Brongniart, and S. pavonii D. Don)
could, at least in part, be referable to this species.
Our subspecies occurs in the Alpine in the Rocky Mountains from British Columbia
and Alberta south to Northern New Mexico and Arizona.
Comments: J.K.Small (1905; N. Am. Fl. 22) split the Colorado members of this complex into three
separate species. These are Muscaria monticola Small, Muscaria delicatula Small, and
Muscaria micropetala Small. They are not generally accepted (except by W.A.Weber), and I could find little
additional information on them. They are separated by sepal, petal,
and inflorescence length and appear to be nothing more than environmentally
induced variations. Not surprisingly, the "species"
(M. delicatula) with the more average measurements is the most
common.
Important Literature:
Hickman, J.C. (Editor). 1993. The Jepson Manual, Higher Plants of California, University of California Press.
Kearney, T.H. and R.H. Peebles. 1951. Arizona Flora, University of California Press.
Shreve F. and I.L. Wiggins. 1964. Vegetation and Flora of the Sonoran Desert, Stanford University Press.
Webb, D.A. and R.J. Gornall. 1989. Saxifrages, Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, USA
Webb, D.A. and R.J.Gornall. 1989. Saxifrages of Europe, Chiristopher Helm Publishers Ltd., Imperial House,
Bromley, Kent, Great Britain.
Weber, W.A. 1987. Colorado Flora, Western Slope, University of Colorado Press.
Weber, W.A. 1990. Colorado Flora, Eastern Slope, University of Colorado Press.
Welsh, S.L., N.D. Atwood, S. Goodrich, and L. Higgins (Editors). 1987. A Utah Flora, Great Basin Naturalist
Memoirs #9, Brigham Young University.
Wooton, E.O. and P.C. Standley. 1915. Flora of New Mexico. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 19, Bull. U.S. Natl. Mus.,
Washington D.C.
Information Compiled By: David J. Ferguson, 1998
