Saxifragaceae
Saxifraga

Saxifraga hederacea L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 405 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SE. Europe to E. Medit, NE. Libya. It is an annual and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Ghazanfar, S. A. & Edmondson, J. R (Eds). (2014) Flora of Iraq, Volume 5 Part 2: Lythraceae to Campanulaceae.

Morphology General Habit
Annual herb, glabrous or glandular-pilose, with weak, fragile, scrambling stems up to 30 cm but often much less, much-branched from base upwards when well-developed, smaller plants simple
Morphology Leaves
Leaves simple, peltate, orbicular in outline, lower (3–)5–7-dentate with large, subacute or obtuse, broadly rounded-deltoid lobes, upper commonly 3-dentate to entire; lower leaves truncate to cordate at base, 4–30 × 3–30 mm, long-petiolate with petioles up to 3 cm long and 3 times as long as the lamina, uppermost sometimes cuneate at base, shortly petiolate or sessile, much smaller; all leaves, and also sepals, with dark, elongate tannin-filled epidermal cells scattered over the surface
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Cymes lax and rather few-flowered, flowers on long slender spreading pedicels up to 4 cm, much exceeding the subtending bract, frequently glandular-pilose
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals deltoid-ovate, 2–2.5 mm, subacute; receptacle shallowly hemispherical-Petals yellow to white, 2.5–4 mm, oblong to cuneate-obovate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens about two-thirds as long as the petals
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Carpels
Carpels one-third inferior, the apical two-thirds free, abruptly narrowed to the short style; stigmas large, strongly papillose
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule globose to ovoid, 3.5–4 mm, yellowish-brown, with a raised vein joining the styles, parallel to the suture, the persistent sepals patent-erect
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds ovoid, dark reddish brown, strongly papillose.
Ecology
On cliffs, on rocks by a waterfall, shady limestone rocks; alt. 500–1050 m
Phenology
Apr.–May.
Distribution
Very rare in the mountain district of NE Iraq. Sicily, Balkans, Crete, Cyprus, Aegean Is., Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Iran (not listed in Jamzad, 1995), Libya.
[FIQ]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora of Iraq

    • Ghazanfar, S. A., Edmondson, J. R. (Eds). (2013-2019). Flora of Iraq, Volumes 5.1, 5.2 and 6.0. Kew Publishing
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images