''Astilboides'', a genus of the

saxifrage ''Saxifraga'' is the largest genus in the family Saxifragaceae, containing about 473 species of holarctic perennial plants, known as saxifrages or rockfoils. The Latin word ''saxifraga'' means literally "stone-breaker", from Latin ' ("rock" or " ...

family containing only one species, ''Astilboides tabularis'', a

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition ...

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

once included in the genus ''

Rodgersia '' Rodgersia aesculifolia'' ''Rodgersia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Saxifragaceae family. ''Rodgersia'' are herbaceous perennials originating from east Asia. Taxonomy The review of the genus by Pan Jin-tang, in 1994 recogni ...

''. It comes from China and differs from its former relatives mainly in its leaf shape. It is grown for its huge bright green, circular leaves to 36 in (90 cm) across with the stem attached to the center, and large fluffy racemes of tiny white flowers produced in summer. The Latin

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

''tabularis'' means "tabular" or "flat", referring to the leaf formation.

Cultivation

Grown best in moist soils in a cool sheltered spot. It is usually seen at its best near water. It bears very little resemblance to the genus ''

Astilbe ''Astilbe'' is a genus of 18 species of rhizomatous flowering plants within the family Saxifragaceae, native to mountain ravines and woodlands in Asia and North America. Some species are known by the common names false goat's beard and false spi ...

'' after which it was named. Propagate from seed or divisions when dormant.

References

*Lord, Tony (2003) Flora : The Gardener's Bible : More than 20,000 garden plants from around the world. London: Cassell.
Botanica Sistematica
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15281335 Garden plants Saxifragaceae Flora of China Saxifragaceae genera Monotypic Saxifragales genera