Saxifraga_hostii_30

Description:

Saxifraga hostii ssp. hostii TauschHost's Saxifrage, DE: Hosts SteinbrechFamily: SaxifragaceaeSlo.: Hostov kre, Hostov kamnokreDec 16. 2004Lat.: 4616'20.07"N Long.: 1327'41.83"ECode: Bot_0008/2004_DSC0019Picture file names: Saxifraga-hostii_raw_30.Place: South slopes of Mt. Kobariki Stol, 1.673 m (5.489 feet) above village Stanovie, elevation 1.200 m (3.900 feet), prealpine phytogeographical region of East Julian Alps. Posoje, Slovenia EC.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.