''Saxifraga crustata'', the crusted-leaved saxifraga and silver saxifrage, as well as encrusted saxifrage, is an evergreen

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 ...

plant species in the family

Saxifragaceae Saxifragaceae is a family of herbaceous perennial flowering plants, within the core eudicot order Saxifragales. The taxonomy of the family has been greatly revised and the scope much reduced in the era of molecular phylogenetic analysis. The ...

, native to the Eastern

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, ...

. This species was described by Austrian botanist

Lorenz Chrysanth von Vest Lorenz Chrysanth Edler von Vest (18 November 1776, in Klagenfurt – 15 December 1840, in Graz) was an Austrian physician and botanist. He studied medicine in Vienna and at the University of Freiburg, where in 1798 he received his doctorate. Aft ...

in 1804.

Etymology

While

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

name refers to the plant's ability to erode and break rocks while growing and spreading around (hence ''saxum'' means "rock" and ''frangere'' is translated as "to break" from Latin), its species' name comes from the Latin term ''crustatus'' or "encrusted", and is connected with plant's shiny green leaves that have their surface covered with drops of crusty lime, secreted from special pores, located on the leaf margins.

Description

''Saxifraga crustata'' is an evergreen and perennial plant species that grows in dense mats of medium-sized plants and can reach from 12 to 24 centimetres of height. Its narrow and linear leaves that are green and have silver glow are usually arranged into rosettes. Silver shine of leaves is a consequence of small amounts of

lime Lime commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Botany ...

, more precisely

calcite Calcite is a carbonate mineral and the most stable polymorph of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). It is a very common mineral, particularly as a component of limestone. Calcite defines hardness 3 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, based on scra ...

(common

polymorph Polymorphism, polymorphic, polymorph, polymorphous, or polymorphy may refer to: Computing * Polymorphism (computer science), the ability in programming to present the same programming interface for differing underlying forms * Ad hoc polymorphi ...

of calcium carbonate), which is secreted by plant's leaf margins, where secreting pores consisting of

hydathode A hydathode is a type of pore, commonly found in angiosperms, that secretes water through pores in the epidermis or leaf margin, typically at the tip of a marginal tooth or serration. Hydathodes occur in the leaves of submerged aquatic plants suc ...

tissue are located. Similar calcium carbonate excretion is exhibited by many other ''Saxifraga'' species, but not all of them secrete calcite (some excrete

vaterite Vaterite is a mineral, a polymorph of calcium carbonate ( Ca C O3). It was named after the German mineralogist Heinrich Vater. It is also known as mu- calcium carbonate (μ-CaCO3). Vaterite belongs to the hexagonal crystal system, whereas calcit ...

, while a few species' excrement consists of both calcite and vaterite). Ordinary looking flowers have long yellowish-white to cream white petals and are united into

panicle A panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is ...

s, which represent the terminal end of an intensively red coloured stems that bear no leaves. This plant species flowers between June and August.

Distribution

''Saxifraga crustata'' occurs in the European Alps, with countries representing plant's growing area being

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, and ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

and

Italia Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. Populations of this plant species are found in

Dolomites The Dolomites ( it, Dolomiti ; Ladin: ''Dolomites''; german: Dolomiten ; vec, Dołomiti : fur, Dolomitis), also known as the Dolomite Mountains, Dolomite Alps or Dolomitic Alps, are a mountain range located in northeastern Italy. They form pa ...

and

Dinarides The Dinaric Alps (), also Dinarides, are a mountain range in Southern and Southcentral Europe, separating the continental Balkan Peninsula from the Adriatic Sea. They stretch from Italy in the northwest through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and He ...

, ranging from Slovenia to

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = ...

. In Slovenia ''Saxifraga crustata'' is a relatively common plant species that grows in the Alps, as well as

Trnovo Forest Plateau The Trnovo Forest Plateau ( sl, Trnovski gozd) is a karst plateau that constitutes the extreme northwest end of the Dinaric Alps.Perko, Drago, & Milan Orožen Adamič. 1998. ''Slovenija: pokrajine in ljudje''. Ljubljana: Mladinska knjiga, p. 324. ...

and mountain plateau named Snežnik. This plant is classified as a

chasmophyte This glossary of botanical terms is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to botany and plants in general. Terms of plant morphology are included here as well as at the more specific Glossary of plant morphology and Glossary ...

species, with most of its habitat consisting of rock

scree Scree is a collection of broken rock fragments at the base of a cliff or other steep rocky mass that has accumulated through periodic rockfall. Landforms associated with these materials are often called talus deposits. Talus deposits typically ha ...

s and similar surfaces.

Gallery

5648-Saxifraga crustata-Triglav-8.05.JPG 1024 Krusten-Steinbrech (Saxifraga crustata)-2214.jpg Saxifraga crustata mo5.JPG Saxifraga crustata mo2.JPG Saxifraga crustata PID924-2.jpg Saxifraga crustata PID1899-4.jpg Saxifraga crustata PID1899-1.jpg Saxifraga crustata RF.jpg

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q1613037 crustata Flora of Europe Flora of the Alps Alpine flora