Saxifraga biflora All.

Photo: Saxifraga biflora All. (Photo: Franco Guadagni) Common name: Saxifraga biflora Family: Saxifragaceae Flowering months: June, July, August Common names Saxifrage à deux fleurs Interesting fact The term Saxifraga (denoting the genus) derives from the characteristic of these plants to grow in rock crevices. It is derived from saxum (stone, rock) and frangere (to break, to split). Ideal habitat Scree slopes and moraines. Where to find it It is a mountain plant that grows frequently in the southern and eastern Alps. In the Aosta Valley, it has been found on the Matterhorn at an altitude of 4,200 metres! How to recognise it It is a dwarf plant (1–5 cm) that forms low cushions. Its leaves are opposite, like those of Saxifraga oppositifolia, but are larger and not blue-green in colour. The flowers appear in clusters of between 2 and 9 per cluster, and the petals, which are spaced apart, are generally pink, carmine red or sometimes white.