MOSSY SAXIFRAGE

DOVEDALE MOSS

Saxifraga hypnoides

Saxifrage Family [Saxifragaceae]  

month8May month8jun month8june month8jul month8july

status
statusZnative
flower
flower8white
inner
inner8green
morph
morph8actino
petals
petalsZ5
stem
stem8round

16th May 2012, Chrome Hill, Derbyshire. Photo: © RWD
Grows on cliffs, rocks, mountain ledges and beside mountain streams.


16th May 2012, Chrome Hill, Derbyshire. Photo: © RWD
A low plant up to 20cm high.


16th May 2012, Chrome Hill, Derbyshire. Photo: © RWD
Has white flowers either at or near the top a thin stem.


16th May 2012, Chrome Hill, Derbyshire. Photo: © RWD
The opened flower on the main stem is at the summit of the plant. Most of the leaves are entwined in moss in this photograph.


16th May 2012, Chrome Hill, Derbyshire. Photo: © RWD
Un-opened buds on short stalks branching off slightly lower down. Five white petals splayed out. Flower buds and pink tinged at the tip.


16th May 2012, Chrome Hill, Derbyshire. Photo: © RWD
Five triangular sepals. Only a few thin stem leaves. Un-opened flower buds nodding.


16th May 2012, Chrome Hill, Derbyshire. Photo: © RWD
Stems covered in short purple glandular hairs with a tiny sphere at the tip (the gland)


16th May 2012, Chrome Hill, Derbyshire. Photo: © RWD
Five white petals with three green veins. Ten stamens with yellow pollen at tips. The petals and inner arrangement of parts bears a slight resemblance to that of Grass-of-Parnassus.


16th May 2012, Chrome Hill, Derbyshire. Photo: © RWD
Sepals less than half the length of the petals. Green veins on petals visible on both sides.


16th May 2012, Chrome Hill, Derbyshire. Photo: © RWD
Lime-green ovary in centre.


16th May 2012, Chrome Hill, Derbyshire. Photo: © RWD
A mass of twisted narrow and three-forked leaves at ground level which resemble moss.


2nd Sept 2010, Twl Du, Llyn Idwal, Snowdonia. Photo: © RWD
Growing amongst Clubmoss high up in the valley, it is equally at home in lowland arable fields, where it is less conspicuous. A sprawling low plant, barely 4 inches above ground when bereft of flowers. It may also appear in yellow to deep-red shades and looking even more like moss when high in mountains, such as up Ingleborough.


2nd Sept 2010, Twl Du, Llyn Idwal, Snowdonia. Photo: © RWD
Each stem has a halo of very short leaves radiating in all directions from it.


2nd Sept 2010, Twl Du, Llyn Idwal, Snowdonia. Photo: © RWD
All leaves end in a triangular point. Hairs not straight.




GARDEN VERSION?

31st May 2005, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Barnoldswick Photo: © RWD
Garden varieties seldom escape into the wild. Mossy leaves in a twisted mass.


31st May 2005, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Barnoldswick Photo: © RWD
A Garden variety.


Distinguishable from other similar saxifrages by the thread-like tangle of moss-resembling leaves.

Not to be confused semantically with: Moss Campion nor with Mossy Stonecrop (Crassula tillaea) [plants with similar names]

Flowers are similar to those of Meadow Saxifrage (Saxifraga granulata), but the leaves are totally different.

Very similar to: Spring Sandwort (Minuartia verna) but that lacks the three greenish-yellow veins in the petals, and that has only five stamens with purple anthers (whereas Mossy Saxifrage has ten stamens with yellow anthers) and the flowers of Spring Sandwort are all more or less upright (whereas some of the unopened flowers of Mossy Saxifrage are pendant).

More similar to: Mossy Sandwort (Arenaria balearica) but that is much shorter than the 20cm of Mossy Saxifrage, reaching only 5cm, and its leaves are tiny and oval.

The leaves are similar to those of Parsley-Piert and Slender Parsley-piert, but neither of these has visible flowers. There are also several garden varieties of Mossy Saxifrage sold in Garden Centres which may have pink or red flowers, which are usually planted in walls.


  Saxifraga hypnoides  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Saxifragaceae  

Distribution
family8Saxifrage family8Saxifracaea
 BSBI maps
genus8Saxifraga
Saxifraga
(Saxifrages)

MOSSY SAXIFRAGE

DOVEDALE MOSS

Saxifraga hypnoides

Saxifrage Family [Saxifragaceae]  

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