Saxifraga hemisphaerica Hook. fil. & Thomson

Herbs perennial, 2-5 cm tall. Shoots crowded, forming cushions. Flowering stem embedded among rosette leaves, not visible, 3.2-4.5 mm, sparsely glandular hairy. Shoot leaves imbricate, aggregated into a rosette, subspatulate, abaxially subconvex, adaxially subconcave, 4-5.6 × 1.2-1.8 mm, subcarnose, both surfaces glabrous, margin proximally ciliate, distally colorless fimbriate. Cauline leaves remote, embedded among rosette leaves, rarely visible, narrowly obovate to oblanceolate, 2.4-4 × 1-1.4 mm, both surfaces glabrous, margin setose-ciliate proximally, apex colorless fimbriate. Flower solitary; bracts 1 or 2, oblong-linear, ca. 3 × 0.6 mm, both surfaces glabrous, margin ciliate, apex obtuse; pedicel 0.2-0.3 mm, glandular hairy. Sepals erect, ovate to subelliptic, abaxially convex, adaxially concave, 2.2-2.6 × 1-1.6 mm, subcarnose, abaxially sparsely glandular hairy or glabrous, adaxially glabrous, veins 3-7, confluent into a verruca at apex, margin glandular ciliate proximally, apex scarious fimbriate. Petals yellow, ovate or narrowly so to narrowly obovate, 2.5-3.5 × 0.9-1 mm, 2-callose, 3-veined, base with a claw 0.6-1.3 mm, apex obtuse or acute. Stamens 2-2.5 mm. Ovary inferior, ca. 1.3 mm, with an annular nectary disc; styles 0.8-0.9 mm. Fl. Jun-Aug.

Himalaya (Garhwal to Bhutan), S. Tibet.

S Qinghai (Nangqên Xian, Yushu Xian, Zadoi Xian), E Xizang (Dêngqên Xian) [Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sikkim].

4500-5100 m

Alpine rock crevices; 4500-5000 m.