Image of Saxifraga hostii ssp. hostii

Description:

Slo.: Hostov kre, Hostov kamnokre - Habitat: stony roadside of a dirt road; calcareous, skeletal, stony ground, sunny and dry place, moderately inclined mountain slope, south aspect; exposed to direct rain; elevation 1.300 m (4.260 feet); average precipitations ~ 3.000 mm/year, average temperature 3-5 deg C, pre-alpine phytogeographical region. Substratum: soil among rocks and in rock crevices.Comment: Saxifraga hostii ssp. hostii is an endemic member of large genus Saxifraga containing numerous marvelous, mostly alpine pants. It is actually not a true high mountains species, since it can be found fully developed and in full bloom in Trenta valley below 500 m elevation. But it also climbs to alpine elevations well above 2.000 m. Habitus, leaves and inflorescence are much similar better known Saxifraga crustata, but it is larger in all its parts. The tallest plants can be more than 50 cm high and hence belong to the tallest members of this genus in the Alps. It can be found in northeast Italy, Slovenia and south Austria. Actually it is a sub-endemic plant because one can find it also in some places of Dinaric Mountains (Ref.1.). Slightly different subspecies Saxifraga hostii ssp. rhaetica grows in a limited region of south Alps in Italy.Flowers of Saxifraga hostii ssp. hostii are generally white, however sometimes the petals are decorated with beautiful, tiny red dots as shown in my picture. Such dots appear also on other species of this genus. Saxifraga hostii ssp hostii is a perennial plant. During the winter, if not covered by snow, its leaves get beautifully colored. Ref.:(1) D. Aeschimann, K. Lauber, D.M. Moser, J.P. Theurillat, Flora Alpina, Vol. 1., Haupt (2004), p 700.(2) M.A. Fischer, W. Adler, K. Oswald, Exkursionsflora fr sterreich, Liechtenstein und Sdtirol, LO Landesmuseen, Linz, Austria (2005), p 392.(3) H. Sauerbier, W. Langer, Alpenpflanzen: Endemiten von Nizza bis Wien (II), IHW-Verlag (2000), p 75.(4) A. Martini et all., Mala Flora Slovenije (Flora of Slovenia - Key) (in Slovenian), Tehnina Zaloba Slovenije (2007), p 242.