Saxifraga corsica (Duby) Gren. & Godr. subsp. cossoniana (Boiss.) D.A. Webb

Spice Flower In the field

Family: SAXIFRAGACEAE

Genus: Saxifraga

Province distribution: Balearic Islands.

Distribution in the islands: Ibiza. Formentera.

General distribution (Phytogeography): West Mediterranean

Plants protected by law: Balearic Catalogue.

IUCN Category: VUVulnerable

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Hemicryptophyte.

Habitats: Rock crevices and cliff faces. Rock creviceses.

Characteristics: This plant lives in the rock crevices of sea cliffs of the Pitiusses, always in very specific locations. It forms a mass with its rounded leaves with lobed margins; the leaves can be hard and scaly in the sunnier locations, while of a softer more pliable herbaceous texture in the shady locations. Develps inflorescences that branch out from the base, with big white flowers (some 2 cm), with five equally sized petals. Often forms bulbettes for asexual reproduction. In the Balearic islands, there is only one other species of this genus: Saxifraga tridactylites, which is an annual and very small-sized, so there should be no confusion between the two. Flowers in March and April, until May.