Family: stonecrops (Saxifragaceae)
Blooming time: June–August
Size: 10–60 cm
Habitat: rocky outcrops, scree, forests and rubble
The upright stem of the round-leaved stonecrop (Saxifraga rotundifolia) is strongly branched and multi-flowered. It arises from an evergreen basal leaf rosette formed by long-petioled, kidney-shaped leaves. The leaf blade is 1.5 to 5 cm wide, and the leaf edge is irregularly toothed. The lower stem leaves are similar to the basal ones, toward the top of the stem the leaves become smaller and have progressively shorter petioles. The inflorescence is multi-flowered. It consists of five-petaled flowers with white petals, adorned with red and yellow spots.
The round-leaved stonecrop grows on basic, fresh soils, preferring the shade of trees. It tolerates lower temperatures, which is why in Slovenia it is distributed in the Alpine and pre-Alpine world and across the Dinaric mountains.
