RUE-LEAVED SAXIFRAGE
Saxifraga tridactylites
Saxifrage Family [Saxifragaceae] 
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Saxifrage Family [Saxifragaceae]
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status
flower
inner
morph
petals
stem
| 2nd May 2010, Lathkilldale, Derbyshire. | Photo: © Roger Foden |
| The plant has reddish to pinkish stems and leaves. The stems are sticky hairy. Both stem leaves and basal leaves are three-lobed, and curved over at the edges such as to give a false thick succulent appearance. |
| 2nd May 2010, Lathkilldale, Derbyshire. | Photo: © Roger Foden |
| The stems zig-zag about. The flowers are white, having five petals which curl over much like Meadow Saxifrage. |
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| 8th April 2011, Hardraw, Hawes, Yorkshire. | Photo: © RWD |
| Leaves normally light green, turning pink to reddish in response to stress. Stems branched and red even when leaves are green. The leaves are fleshy ending in a distinctive three-toed foot. |
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| 24th April 2012, Gait Barrows, Silverdale, Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
| A lone plant on a gravel path. Sometimes the whole plant can turn a beetroot-red from embarrassment at being exposed to the strong sun all day :-) |
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| 24th April 2012, Gait Barrows, Silverdale, Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
| Birds-eye view. |
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| 8th April 2011, Hardraw, Hawes, Yorkshire. | Photo: © RWD |
| Almost the whole plant is covered in glandular sticky hairs with purple glands at the ends. Five stubby sepals support five white petals, which are oval(ish) and much shorter than those of Meadow Saxifrage. |
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| 8th April 2011, Hardraw, Hawes, Yorkshire. | Photo: © RWD |
| Five stamens hidden within with cream-coloured pollen. |
| 2nd May 2010, Lathkilldale, Derbyshire. | Photo: © Roger Foden |
| The petals are un-notched and rounded at the ends and have a faint centre-line. There are five very short stamens with cream-coloured pollen on the ends. |
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| 8th April 2011, Hardraw, Hawes, Yorkshire. | Photo: © RWD |
| Now bereft of petals the sepals contain the ripening egg-shaped fruit. The sepals are and fruit-case are sparsely covered in short glandular-tipped hairs, as are the flower stalks. |
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| 8th April 2011, Hardraw, Hawes, Yorkshire. | Photo: © RWD |
| Trefoil leaves on long and flattened stalks most of the way up the short stem. Earlier in the year the leaves on the basal rosette can resemble the 'spoon-shaped' leaves (so early in the season that the leaves have not yet had the chance to grow two stubby side-branches) of Springbeauty - all, that is, apart from the sparse and short hairs on the very edge of the leaves which can be seen clearly on the photograph below. |
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| 8th April 2011, Hardraw, Hawes, Yorkshire. | Photo: © RWD |
| Trefoil leaves set about 50° apart and ending in a stubby point. Some leaves may have five lobes rather than three. There are short, widely separated, glandular-tipped hairs on the edge of the leaves. |
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Hybridizes with : Mossy Saxifrage to produce Saxifraga hypnoides × tridactylites.
Superficial resemblance to :
No relation to : Wall-rue (Asplenium ruta-muraria), Goat's-Rue (Galega officinalis), nor to Rue (Ruta graveolens), Alpine Meadow-Rue (Thalictrum alpinum), French Meadow-Rue (Thalictrum aquilegiifolium), Likes growing on walls, rocks, dry or sandy places usually in limestone areas.
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 Saxifraga
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tridactylites
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⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ |
Saxifragaceae
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 Saxifraga (Saxifrages) |
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Saxifrage Family [Saxifragaceae]
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BSBI maps