saxifrage Hear it!

saxifrage Definition

saxi·frage (saksə 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

  1. saxicolous
  2. saxhorn
  3. Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
  4. Saxe
  5. saxatile
  6. sax
  7. sawyer
  8. sawn
  9. sawmill
  10. sawhorse
  1. saxitoxin
  2. Saxo Grammaticus
  3. Saxon
  4. Saxonism
  5. Saxony
  6. Saxony-Anhalt
  7. saxophone
  8. saxtuba
  9. say
  10. say-so