Saxifrages

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Small herbaceous plants typically growing in rocky or alpine areas, with clusters of delicate flowers in various colors
2. Low-growing perennial herbs found often in mountains or rocky ground, bearing tightly clustered blooms in shades of pink, yellow, or white
3. Compact flowering plants common to rocky habitats and alpine regions, characterized by dense flower clusters and fleshy foliage

Etymology: "Saxifrages" is the plural of "saxifrage," a name for a group of small rock-garden plants. The word comes from Late Latin "saxifraga," a compound of "saxum," meaning "rock," and "frangere," meaning "to break." The name refers to the plants' habit of growing in rock crevices, where their roots were thought to split stone apart. Some early herbalists even believed the plant could dissolve kidney stones, a notion that the name's breaking sense seems to echo, though the medical claim was never supported.