Saxifraga cespitosa (Tufted Saxifrage)

Family

SAXIFRAGACEAE

Scientific Name with Author

Saxifraga cespitosa - L.

Synonyms

SAXIFRAGA CESPITOSA; MUSCARIA CESPITOSA; SAXAFRAGA GROENLANDICA; SAXIFRAGA SILENEFLORA; SAXIFRAGA UNIFLORA

Common Name

Tufted Saxifrage

Agency Status
USFWS	State of NM	USFS	BLM	Navajo Nation	State Rank	Global Rank	R-E-D Code	NMRPTC Status	Strategy Status
					S1S2	G5		D

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.

Remarks

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

Kearney, T.H. and R.H. Peebles. 1951. Arizona Flora. University of California Press, Berkeley.

Hickman, J.C. (Editor). 1993. The Jepson Manual, Higher Plants of California, University of California Press

Weber, W.A. 1990. Colorado Flora, Eastern Slope, University of Colorado 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.

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. Jan. 24, 1998

Information Compiled By

David J. Ferguson

For distribution maps and more information, visit Natural Heritage New Mexico