saxifrage Definition
saxi·frage (sak′sə frij′)
noun
any of a genus (Saxifraga) of chiefly perennial plants of the saxifrage family, with small white, yellow, purple, or pinkish flowers, and with leaves massed usually at the base of the plant
Etymology: ME < MFr < L saxifraga < saxum, a rock (see saxatile) + base of frangere, to break: prob. from growing in rock crevices
adjective
designating a family (Saxifragaceae, order Rosales) of dicotyledonous plants found chiefly in the North Temperate and Arctic zones, including the currants and gooseberries
saxifrage Usage Examples
Converse of object
- include: Northern species include yellow saxifrage Saxifraga aizoides and hair sedge Carex capillaris, both of which are locally abundant in flushed grasslands at Inchrory.
- droop: These include tufted saxifrage Saxifraga cespitosa, drooping saxifrage S. cernua and Highland saxifrage S. rivularis.
Adjective modifier
- Pyrenean: Flowers could not hide tho and we saw many Black Vanilla Orchids, Alpine Asters and more Pyrenean Saxifrage, which was abundant.
- mossy: The vascular plant component is always poor, but richer communities support opposite-leaved golden saxifrage and mossy saxifrage.
- starry: Among the plants I saw were monkey flowers and starry saxifrage.
- alpine: Rarer arctic-alpines on the site include alpine saw-wort Saussurea alpina, alpine saxifrage Saxifraga nivalis and holly-fern Polystichum lonchitis.
- purple: It may simply be a glimpse of raven or peregrine, feral goat or a glowing mass of purple saxifrage.
- golden: Alder and willow predominate in the wet valley bottom, with a ground flora of golden saxifrage, yellow flag and pendulous sedge.
Noun used with modifier
- marsh: The center of distribution of marsh saxifrage in the UK is the North Pennines in England.
- meadow: Specialities of the reserve: Juniper, meadow saxifrage, wild thyme, pyramidal orchid, round headed rampion, Duke of Burgundy butterfly.
- pepper: Species within the meadows include Yorkshire fog, great burnet, Lady's bedstraw, common knapweed, meadow vetchling and pepper saxifrage.
- burnet: When last surveyed in 1999 cowslips, pepper saxifrage, meadowsweet, common knapweed and greater burnet saxifrage were present.
Browse dictionary entries near saxifrage
- ‹ saxicolous
- ‹ saxhorn
- ‹ Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
- ‹ Saxe
- ‹ saxatile
- ‹ sax
- ‹ sawyer
- ‹ sawn
- ‹ sawmill
- ‹ sawhorse
- saxitoxin ›
- Saxo Grammaticus ›
- Saxon ›
- Saxonism ›
- Saxony ›
- Saxony-Anhalt ›
- saxophone ›
- saxtuba ›
- say ›
- say-so ›

