Maybe I should post this on the ID forum..but I 've taken a short cut..if it 's okay for you. I 've bought this one as Saxifraga paniculata...but I 'm wondering if it is mislabeled. Could you please take a look at it ? This is a pic of the rosettes..
And here's a pic of it flowering...flowers have a circle of tiny tiny little red spots ...maybe it is S. hostii...could it be. This saxifraga is about 30 cm in hight when flowering.
Thanks!
Saya, Todd is our resident expert, especially when it comes to saxifrages, but unless he comes along soon and gives you a better answer, I'm going to say it is a paniculata. At any rate, the flowers certainly look like a Saxifraga paniculata. If it's the one I'm thinking of, it's a paniculata sometimes called Saxifraga aizoon. I agree that the rosettes look a bit fancier than the standard paniculata, though. They really are striking.
Saya, I have to agree that I don't think it's paniculata, although there is a lot of variablility in that species. Certainly, the narrow leaves are more akin to hostii or crustata. To separate these two close species, look at the leaves on the flowering stems. If there are many cauline (stem) leaves, then its hostii; if there are only a few cauline leaves, then crustata is more likely. Both can be 30 cm (hostii is often taller than that). Also check the length of a rosette leaf. If a single leaf is 6 cm long or longer, then that would also suggest hostii (crustata is usually under 5 cm long). The last ID feature is the winter colour. If the rosettes take on a reddish tint in the winter, then that would also suggest hostii.
What did I tell you, Saya? Now that's an expert!!
Sure HE IS !!!! I 'll measure it and look closer at it this evening and I 'll inform you. Thank you all...but special Todd !
