About Saxifraga crustata Vest
Saxifraga crustata Vest is an evergreen, perennial plant species that grows in dense medium-sized mats, reaching 12 to 24 centimetres in height. Its narrow, linear green leaves with a silver glow are typically arranged in rosettes. The silver leaf sheen comes from small amounts of lime, specifically calcite—a common polymorph of calcium carbonate—secreted by the plant’s leaf margins, where secreting pores made of hydathode tissue are located. Many other Saxifraga species also excrete calcium carbonate, but not all secrete calcite; some excrete vaterite, and a few species excrete both calcite and vaterite. The unremarkable flowers have long yellowish-white to cream white petals, and are grouped into panicles at the tip of heavily colored leafless red stems. This species flowers between June and August. Saxifraga crustata is native to the European Alps, occurring in Slovenia, Austria, Croatia and Italy. Its populations are found in the Dolomites and the Dinarides, ranging from Slovenia to Montenegro. In Slovenia, it is a relatively common species that grows in the Alps, as well as on the Trnovo Forest Plateau and the Snežnik mountain plateau. Saxifraga crustata is classified as a chasmophyte, and its typical habitat consists of rock screes and similar rocky surfaces.
