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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| THE SAXIFRAGE FAMILY | |||||||||
| Saxifrages are found around the world. Plants in this family are herbs, and may be somewhat fleshy. The leaves are alternate, opposite or all basal. The leaves are often toothed or lobed. The flowers are usually in branched clusters, though occasionally they may be solitary. The flowers have both the male and female parts and have a well-developed hypanthium. The hypanthium is the fusion of part of the sepals, petals and stamens that enlarges in fruit. There are four or five sepals and petals. The fruits are capsules or clusters of pods. | |||||||||
| SWAMP SAXIFRAGE | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Saxifraga pensylvanica | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Swamp saxifrage grows as tall as 80 cm. This species has a thick, erect stem that is glandular-hairy, especially towards the top. The leaves are basal and the blades can be up to 30 cm long. The flowers are in a branched cluster that at maturity is up to 60 cm long. The flowers are greenish-white to yellowish and have ten stamens. The fruit is a capsule. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Swamp saxifrage grows in wet meadows, swamps, and boggy thickets. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This plant is found in eastern Saskatchewan in the Boreal Transition ecoregion. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Swamp saxifrage is endangered because it is extremely rare and is only known from one location in Saskatchewan. This species is locally sparse. Immediate or probable threats have been identified. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY SWAMP SAXIFRAGE | |||||||||
| * Is the stem thick and up to 80 cm tall? * Are the flowers greenish to yellowish? * Are there ten stamens? * Did you find it in eastern Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found swamp saxifrage! | |||||||||
