"Saxifrage" means "rock breaker".  The name is most likely derived from one or both of the following:  
1) Saxifrage Family members often grow in rocky, stony areas.
2) Since Saxifrage grows in stony areas it was believed that it would therefore have a medicinal use for breaking kidney stones.  (This supposed relationship between a plant's place of growth, shape, or other characteristics, with its use in human medicine is called "the doctrine of associations".)

    The Saxifraga genus has about 400 species worldwide, about 70 in North America.  Some species occur (according to Intermountain Flora) on the "north  coast of Greenland as far north as any flowering plant can survive".

Subalpine. Rocks. Summer.
Lizard Head Trail, July 6, 2005.
Sharkstooth Trail, July 18, 2005.
Colorado Trail near Kennebec, September 4, 2007.
Lake Hope Trail, August 11, 2009.

The tiny leaves of dotted Saxifrage form a moss-like mat, cascading over the edge of rocks.  Three to six inch flower stems bear few to many flowers depending on growing conditions.  Red and orange dots often ornament the interior of the petals.

This is a beautiful, delicate plant that needs a hands-and-knees look.  Cilaria austromontana might be confused with Eremogone fendleri. 

Linnaeus named this genus and species in 1753.  William Weber reassigned this species to the Cilaria genus, first named by Adrian Haworth (1768-1833) in 1821.  "Ciliaria", from the Latin for "small hairs", refers to the small hairs on the leaf margins and "austromontana" is a common species name meaning "of the southern mountains".

Click for more Cilaria austromontana .

Subalpine. Streamsides. Summer.
Navajo Lake Trail, July 6, 2004.
Roaring Fork Road, July 26, 2004.

The distinctive, shiny, scalloped leaves of Brook Saxifrage are very common and evident in and along mountain streams. The flowers, although inconspicuous, are works or art.

Flowers are numerous and droop on branching ends of foot tall, slender, leafless stems.

Charles Piper ((1867-1926) named this species Saxifraga odontoloma in 1906 and Amos Heller ((1867-1944) renamed it Micranthes odontoloma in 1912.  "Micranthes" is Greek for "small flower". "Odon" is Greek for "tooth" and "loma" is "fringe", both probably referring to the leaf margin.

Subalpine. Streamsides. Summer.
Roaring Fork Road, July 26, 2004.

Range map © John Kartesz,
Floristic Synthesis of North America

State Color Key

Species present in state and native
Species present in state and exotic
Species not present in state

County Color Key

Species present and not rare
Species present and rare
Species extirpated (historic)
Species extinct
Species noxious
Species exotic and present
Native species, but adventive in state
Eradicated
Questionable presence

Range map for Cilaria austromontana (Saxifraga bronchialis)

Range map for Micranthes odontoloma (Saxifraga odontoloma)