Alpine Saxifrage

Micranthes nivalis is a plant species in the saxifrage family. It is commonly called snow saxifrage or (ambiguously) alpine saxifrage.

Micranthes nivalis is a perennial plant which grows on damp, shady, base-rich rocks and cliffs, usually in crevices and on ledges in locations where it cannot be crowded out by competing plants. In Britain the highest altitudes are recorded in Scotland, from 365 metres (1,198 ft) at the Quiraing, Isle of Skye, to 1,210 metres (3,970 ft) on Ben Lawers in Perth & Kinross. However it has been claimed as high as 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) in the Cairngorms. It grows to a height of 5–20 centimetres (2–8 in) with a leafless, hairy stalk. The flower is greenish white, turning reddish as it ages with five petals and five sepals. The leathery, greyish green, rhomboidal leaves make up a rosette at the base of the stem and lie close to the soil surface, and are only sparsely haired.