Country intro
Micranthes ferruginea or, what was, Saxifraga ferruginea
The Rusty Saxifrage! I love the description of these flowers by Lewis J. Clark in his book, “The Wildflowers of British Columbia”. (I know, I have an old edition.)
“On close inspection how exquisitely shaped the small flowers are! The two lower petals are unmarked and pointed-elliptical, attenuated into a long, slender base. But each of the other three petals enchantingly remind us, in chaste outline, of a Grecian vase. The incomparable line could not be improved. Two cup-marks of purest yellow are placed just so on the alabaster. A final perfect accent is provided by the plump anthers: coral before antithesis, cinnamon after.”
"Micranthes ferruginea" is a species of saxifrage known by the common names russethair saxifrage and rusty saxifrage. It is native to western North America from Alaska and northwestern Canada to northern California to Wyoming, where it can be found in moist, rocky habitat in mountainous areas.
