E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Petrorhagia saxifraga (L.) Link
tunic flower (saxifrage pink)
Caryophyllaceae (Pink family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Distribution of Petrorhagia saxifraga
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Species Information

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Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

General:
Perennial herb from a slender taproot; stems ascending to erect, much branched, glabrous or stiffly short-hairy, the lower internodes shortly stiff-hairy, 5-40 cm tall.

Leaves:
Basal and stem leaves linear and needle-like, 0.5-1.0 cm long, 1-2 mm wide, 1-nerved, fringed with short hairs on the basal margins.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of solitary or rarely 3 flowers at the stalked branch tips, these subtended by 2-4 pairs of papery, egg-shaped bracts; petals 5, 4.5-10 mm long, pink or white, notched, exceeding the calyces; calyces 4-5 mm long; sepals 5.

Fruits:
Capsules egg-shaped, 5-8 mm long; seeds brownish-black, 0.9-1.6 mm long, compressed, concave on 1 side.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Key to the Species and Taxonomic Notes

TAXONOMIC KEY TO PETRORHAGIA

1. Calyces 10-13 mm long; stem leaves linear to lanceolate, more than 1 cm long P. prolifera

1. Calyces 4-5 mm long; stem leaves linear and needle-like, less than 1 cm long P. saxifraga

Habitat / Range

Dry roadsides and waste places in the montane zone; rare garden escape in EC BC, known only from Prince George; introduced from Europe.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is not evaluated, unknown or variable.

Status Information

Origin Status	Provincial Status	BC List (Red Blue List)	COSEWIC
Exotic	SNA	Exotic	Not Listed

BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer, the authoritative source for conservation information in British Columbia.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Tunica saxifraga (L.) Scop.

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Flora North America treatment for Caryophyllaceae
Flora North America treatment for Petrorhagia saxifraga
Genetic information (NCBI Taxonomy Database)
International Plant Names Index
Taxonomic Information from the World Flora Online
Integrated Taxonomic Information System

Additional Range and Status Information Links

Burke Museum of Natural History (Washington State records)
CalFlora
Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria records
Jepson Interchange
NatureServe Explorer
USDA

Additional Photo Sources

Images From CalPhoto
UT Austin's Native Plant Database
Google Image Search
Flickr Image Search

General References

Google Scholar Search
Family References
General Botanical References for BC

Recommended citation: Author, Date. Page title. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2020. E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia [eflora.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Accessed: 2024-05-19 6:21:06 AM ]

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