Androsace saussurei is a plant species in the family Primulaceae.

Androsace saussurei
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Primulaceae
Genus: Androsace
Species:
A. saussurei
Binomial name
Androsace saussurei
Dentant, Lavergne, F.C. Boucher & S. Ibanez
Synonyms[1]
  • Androsace pubescens auct. non DC.
  • Androsace alpina auct. non Lam.
  • Androsace albimontana D. Jord. & Jacquemoud ?

Taxonomy edit

Androsace saussurei was named after Horace Bénédict de Saussure, an eighteenth-century scientist from Geneva. The holotype was collected in Mont Blanc in Haute-Savoie of France.[1]

Description edit

Androsace saussurei is a perennial cushion plant species, usually 5–8 centimetres (2.0–3.1 in) high and 3–10 centimetres (1.2–3.9 in) in diameter. It is made of rosettes with diameters of 4.7–8.1 millimetres (0.19–0.32 in). It has hairy lanceolate leaves, usually 4.5–9.5 millimetres (0.18–0.37 in) long and 1.1–1.7 millimetres (0.043–0.067 in) wide. The flowers are white to purplish, 7 millimetres (0.28 in) in diameter. And the buds are often purplish as well. It typically flowers from June to August.[1]

Habitat and distribution edit

Androsace saussurei inhabit rock crevices on protogine and granite at elevations from 2,000 to 4,070 metres (6,560 to 13,350 ft), which is the highest elevation known for a vascular plant in Italy. It is endemic to the Western Alps (Mont Blanc, Gran Paradiso, Valais, Vanoise, Thabor).[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Boucher, Florian C.; Dentant, Cédric; Ibanez, Sébastien; Capblancq, Thibaut; Boleda, Martí; Boulangeat, Louise; Smyčka, Jan; Roquet, Cristina; Lavergne, Sébastien (2021-05-27). "Discovery of cryptic plant diversity on the rooftops of the Alps". Scientific Reports. 11 (1): 11128. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-90612-w. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 8159976. PMID 34045566. S2CID 235233007.   Text was copied from this source, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.