In Scotland, Purple Saxifrage (
Saxifraga oppositifolia) flowers very early in the year. Below is a picture of it that I took on 1st April this year.
Yellow Saxifrage (
Saxifraga aizoides) flowers much later. The picture below was taken on 4th July 2007.
In Greenland, the summers are so short that they may be in flower at the same time. In a small area of East Greenland, one can find
Saxifraga nathorstii, which is thought to be a hybrid of the two species which has doubled its chromosome number and become able to produce seed. The colour is intermediate between the other two species.
The picture below shows S. oppositifolia to left and right, S. nathorstii 2nd from left and S. aizoides 3rd from left. I took this photo near Mestersvig in East Greenland in early July, 1983.
Today a single drake (might be the same one) has visited twice.
They are very consistent about when they return. Last year it was 29th March, and in 2007 it was 30th March. They usually stay until about the end of July.
Yellow Saxifrage (Saxifraga aizoides) flowers much later. The picture below was taken on 4th July 2007.
In Greenland, the summers are so short that they may be in flower at the same time. In a small area of East Greenland, one can find Saxifraga nathorstii, which is thought to be a hybrid of the two species which has doubled its chromosome number and become able to produce seed. The colour is intermediate between the other two species.
Purple saxifrage likes to grow on steep and often wet calcareous ledges, usually at high altitudes.
We wondered what would pollinate the flowers so early in the year, but during our time there, we saw two bees which seemed to be visiting the flowers.
