A very rare little plant, Irish Saxifrage grows to a height of 8-10cm. Its flowers are 12-18mm across with 5 petals, white except towards centre; it has no nodding buds. The flowers are in few-flowered clusters on erect, hairy stems. The leaves are wedge-shaped, with 3-7 pointed lobes and with long glandular and non-glandular hairs. The plant grows in compacted cushions without non-flowering runners. It can be bright red during the flowering season. It can be found in shallow depressions in limestone, damp rocky places. This is a rare, native perennial which can be found in the Burren and occasionally in N. Kerry. It belongs to the Saxifrage family.
I first recorded this beautiful little plant in 2012 in the Burren after Stephen Ward, one of the two Vice-County Recorders for Co Clare, had kindly given me advice on where it might be found.
If you are satisfied you have correctly identified this plant, please submit your sighting to the National Biodiversity Data Centre
