: any of a genus (Saxifraga of the family Saxifragaceae, the saxifrage family) of chiefly perennial herbs with showy pentamerous flowers and often with basal tufted leaves
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebYet his work lives in the plants named after him: Michaux’s sumac; the fern Pleopeltis michauxiana; a wildflower called Michaux’s saxifrage. Shaun Assael, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 June 2021 The flora and fauna are out of fairy tales: polar bears, arctic foxes, reindeer, walruses, purple saxifrage, dwarf willow, psychedelic orange lichen.BostonGlobe.com, 26 Sep. 2019 This is an American native, a member of the saxifrage family. Margaret Lauterbach, idahostatesman, 11 Apr. 2018
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin saxifraga, from Latin, feminine of saxifragus breaking rocks, from saxum rock + frangere to break — more at break