Saxifraga mengtzeana Engl. & Irmsch.

In FRPS, the names Saxifraga mengtzeana and S. aculeata were applied to taxa without and with foliar embryos, respectively. However, the holotype of S. aculeata (Henry 10316B (E), which lacks foliar embryos) is an isosyntype and the designated lectotype (Gornall et al., Novon 10: 376. 2000) of the earlier name S. mengtzeana, of which S. aculeata is therefore a synonym. The taxon with foliar embryos is dealt with below as S. epiphylla.

Plants 21-25 cm tall. Rhizomes rather short. Stem glandular piliferous. Basal leaves with petiole 1.1-1.2 cm, densely glandular piliferous; leaf blade peltate or ovate to broadly so, 1.5-7.6 × 1.2-6 cm, leathery, abaxially sparsely hispid and brown spotted, base ± cordate, without a foliar embryo in sinus, margin crenate, apex acute. Cauline leaves lanceolate, ca. 4.5 × 1 mm, margin glandular ciliate. Inflorescence paniculate, ca. 8.7 cm, 16-18-flowered; branches 2.4-5 cm, glandular pubescent, 2- or 3-flowered; pedicels slender, 1.3-3 cm, glandular pubescent. Sepals spreading to reflexed, narrowly ovate, ca. 3 × 1 mm, abaxially and marginally glandular hairy, veins 3, confluent into a verruca at apex. Petals 5, white; shortest 3 petals triangular-ovate, 3.2-3.4 × 2-2.2 mm, 3-veined, base rounded to cordate, with a claw ca. 1 mm, apex acute to shortly acuminate; longer petal narrowly ovate, ca. 9 × 2.2 mm, 3-veined, base with a claw ca. 1.4 mm, apex acuminate; longest petal sublanceolate, ca. 1.9 cm × 3.4 mm, 8-veined, base gradually contracted into a claw ca. 1.5 mm, margin sparsely denticulate. Stamens ca. 6 mm. Ovary ovoid, ca. 4 mm; styles divergent, ca. 1.8 mm. Fl. and fr. May-Oct.

Guangdong, SE Yunnan (Mengzi Xian, Yanshan Xian).

* Forests, slopes; 1100-1900 m.

Diptera mengtzeana (Engler & Irmscher) Losinskaja; Saxifraga aculeata I. B. Balfour; S. geifolia I. B. Balfour (1916), not Saint-Lager (1880); S. henryi I. B. Balfour; S. lancangensis Y. Y. Qian; S. mengtzeana var. cordatifolia Engler & Irmscher; S. mengtzeana var. peltifolia Engler & Irmscher; S. ovatocordata Handel-Mazzetti.