''Androsace'', commonly known as rock jasmine, is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Primulaceae The Primulaceae , commonly known as the primrose family (but not related to the evening primrose family), are a family of herbaceous and woody flowering plants including some favourite garden plants and wildflowers. Most are perennial though som ...

, second only to ''

Primula ''Primula'' () is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants in the family Primulaceae. They include the primrose ('' P. vulgaris''), a familiar wildflower of banks and verges. Other common species are '' P. auricula'' (auricula), '' P. veris'' (cow ...

'' in the number of species. It is predominantly

Arctic–alpine An Arctic–alpine taxon is one whose natural distribution includes the Arctic and more southerly mountain ranges, particularly the Alps. The presence of identical or similar taxa in both the tundra of the far north, and high mountain ranges much f ...

, with many species in the Himalayas (where the genus originated), the mountains of central Asia, the Caucasus, and the southern and central European mountain systems, particularly the Alps and the Pyrenees. Plants of this genus are sometimes known as rock jasmines or fairy candelabras, and are widely cultivated for their dense cushions covered in white or pink flowers. There are roughly 110 species. These plants have small entire or toothed leaves which form a basal rosette.

Taxonomy

Recent molecular studies show that the genera ''Douglasia'' (found in north-western North America and easternmost Siberia), '' Pomatosace'' (an Himalayan endemic) and ''Vitaliana'' (a European

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

) are nested within ''Androsace''. Phylogenetic studies have also demonstrated that the ancestor of ''Androsace'' first appeared about 35 Mya ago and was most probably an annual species. Evolution towards the denser morphology of cushions took place two times independently in

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

and in Europe.

Species

, '' Plants of the World Online'' recognizes the following 166 species, including those formerly placed in ''Douglasia'' and ''Vitaliana''. *''

Androsace adenocephala ''Androsace'', commonly known as rock jasmine, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Primulaceae, second only to ''Primula'' in the number of species. It is predominantly Arctic–alpine, with many species in the Himalayas (where the genu ...

'' Hand.-Mazz. *'' Androsace adfinis'' Biroli *'' Androsace aflatunensis'' Ovcz. *'' Androsace aizoon'' Duby *'' Androsace akbaitalensis'' Derganc ex O.Fedtsch. *'' Androsace alaica'' Ovcz. & S.B.Astan. *'' Androsace alaschanica'' Maxim. *'' Androsace alaskana'' Coville & Standl. ex Hultén *''

Androsace albana ''Androsace albana'' is a species of flowering plant in the primrose family, Primulaceae The Primulaceae , commonly known as the primrose family (but not related to the evening primrose family), are a family of herbaceous and woody flowering ...

'' Steven *''

Androsace alchemilloides ''Androsace'', commonly known as rock jasmine, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Primulaceae, second only to ''Primula'' in the number of species. It is predominantly Arctic–alpine, with many species in the Himalayas (where the genu ...

'' Franch. *''

Androsace alpina ''Androsace alpina'', or Alpine rock-jasmine, is an alpine plant, endemic to the Alps. Distribution In the wild, ''Androsace alpina'' grows on silicaceous substrates, particularly granite, and is one of the few plants in the Alps to grow above ...

'' (L.) Lam. *'' Androsace americana'' Wendelbo *''

Androsace apus ''Androsace'', commonly known as rock jasmine, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Primulaceae, second only to ''Primula'' in the number of species. It is predominantly Arctic–alpine, with many species in the Himalayas (where the genu ...

'' Franch. ex R.Knuth * ''Androsace'' × ''aretioides'' (Gaudin) Hegetschw. *'' Androsace argentea'' (C.F.Gaertn.) Lapeyr. *'' Androsace armeniaca'' Duby *'' Androsace axillaris'' (Franch.) Franch. *'' Androsace baltistanica'' Y.J.Nasir *'' Androsace beringensis'' (S.Kelso, Jurtzev & D.F.Murray) Cubey *'' Androsace bidentata'' K.Koch *'' Androsace bisulca'' Bureau & Franch. *'' Androsace brachystegia'' Hand.-Mazz. *'' Androsace brevis'' (Hegetschw.) Ces. *'' Androsace bryomorpha'' Lipsky *'' Androsace bulleyana'' Forrest *'' Androsace bungeana'' Schischk. & Bobrov *'' Androsace caduca'' Ovcz. *'' Androsace caespitosa'' Lehm. ex Spreng. *'' Androsace cernuiflora'' Y.C.Yang & R.F.Huang *'' Androsace chaixii'' Gren. & Godr. *''

Androsace chamaejasme ''Androsace'', commonly known as rock jasmine, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Primulaceae, second only to ''Primula'' in the number of species. It is predominantly Arctic–alpine, with many species in the Himalayas (where the gen ...

'' Wulfen *'' Androsace ciliata'' DC. *'' Androsace ciliifolia'' Ludlow *'' Androsace constancei'' Wendelbo *'' Androsace coronata'' (Watt) Hand.-Mazz. *'' Androsace cortusifolia'' Nakai *'' Androsace croftii'' Watt *'' Androsace cuscutiformis'' Franch. *'' Androsace cuttingii'' C.E.C.Fisch. *'' Androsace cylindrica'' DC. *'' Androsace darvasica'' Ovcz. *'' Androsace dasyphylla'' Bunge *'' Androsace delavayi'' Franch. *'' Androsace dielsiana'' R.Knuth *'' Androsace dissecta'' (Franch.) Franch. *'' Androsace diversifolia'' C.Y.Wu *'' Androsace duthieana'' R.Knuth *'' Androsace elatior'' Pax & K.Hoffm. *'' Androsace elongata'' L. *'' Androsace engleri'' R.Knuth *'' Androsace erecta'' Maxim. *'' Androsace eritrichioides'' Gand. * ''Androsace'' × ''escheri'' Brügger *'' Androsace euryantha'' Hand.-Mazz. *'' Androsace exscapa'' Maximova *'' Androsace fedtschenkoi'' Ovcz. *''

Androsace filiformis ''Androsace filiformis'' is a species of flowering plant in the primrose family known by the common names filiform rockjasmine and slender-stemmed androsace. It is an uncommon plant native to the Northwestern United States, California, Colorado ...

'' Retz. *'' Androsace flavescens'' Maxim. *'' Androsace foliosa'' Duby *'' Androsace forrestiana'' Hand.-Mazz. *'' Androsace gagnepainiana'' Hand.-Mazz. *'' Androsace geraniifolia'' Watt *'' Androsace globifera'' Duby *'' Androsace globiferoides'' (Kunth) Hand.-Mazz. *'' Androsace gmelinii'' (L.) Roem. & Schult. *'' Androsace gorodkovii'' Ovcz. & Karav. *'' Androsace graceae'' Forrest ex W.W.Sm. *'' Androsace gracilis'' Hand.-Mazz. *'' Androsace graminifolia'' C.E.C.Fisch. *'' Androsace halleri'' L. *'' Androsace handel-mazzettii'' Kress *'' Androsace harrissii'' Duthie *'' Androsace hausmannii'' Leyb. *'' Androsace hazarica'' R.R.Stewart ex Y.J.Nasir *'' Androsace hedreantha'' Griseb. * ''Androsace'' × ''heeri'' W.D.J.Koch *'' Androsace helvetica'' (L.) All. *'' Androsace hemisphaerica'' Ludlow *'' Androsace henryi'' Oliv. *'' Androsace hohxilensis'' R.F.Huang & S.K.Wu *'' Androsace hookeriana'' Klatt *'' Androsace hopeiensis'' Nakai * ''Androsace'' × ''hybrida'' A.Kern. *'' Androsace idahoensis'' (Douglass M.Hend.) Cubey *'' Androsace incana'' Lam. *'' Androsace integra'' (Maxim.) Hand.-Mazz. *'' Androsace intermedia'' Ledeb. *'' Androsace jacquemontii'' Duby *'' Androsace khokhrjakovii'' Mazurenko *'' Androsace khumbuensis'' Dentant *'' Androsace komovensis'' Schönsw. & Schneew. *'' Androsace kouytchensis'' Bonati *'' Androsace kuczerovii'' Knjaz. *'' Androsace kuvajevii'' Mazurenko *''

Androsace lactea ''Androsace lactea'', the milkwhite rock jasmine, is an alpine plant, in the family Primulaceae. Description ''Androsace lactea'' can reach a height of . This plant produces rosettes of leaves with a diameter of about . The leaves are shining da ...

'' L. *'' Androsace lactiflora'' Fisch. ex Willd. *''

Androsace laevigata ''Androsace laevigata'', synonym ''Douglasia laevigata'', known as the cliff dwarf primrose, is a species of flowering plant in the primrose family, Primulaceae. It is native to the central Pacific coastal mountains of North America (west of the ...

'' (A.Gray) Wendelbo *'' Androsace laggeri'' A.Huet *'' Androsace lanuginosa'' Wall. *'' Androsace laxa'' C.M.Hu & Y.C.Yang *'' Androsace lehmanniana'' Spreng. *'' Androsace lehmannii'' Wall. ex Duby *'' Androsace limprichtii'' Pax & K.Hoffm. *'' Androsace longifolia'' Turcz. *'' Androsace lowariensis'' Y.J.Nasir *'' Androsace ludlowiana'' Hand.-Mazz. *'' Androsace mairei'' H.Lév. * ''Androsace'' × ''marpensis'' G.F.Sm. *'' Androsace mathildae'' Levier *'' Androsace maxima'' L. *'' Androsace medifissa'' Y.L.Chen & Y.C.Yang *'' Androsace minor'' (Hand.-Mazz.) C.M.Hu & Y.C.Yang *'' Androsace mirabilis'' Franch. *'' Androsace mollis'' Hand.-Mazz. *'' Androsace montana'' (A.Gray) Wendelbo *'' Androsace mucronifolia'' Watt *'' Androsace multiscapa'' Duby *'' Androsace muscoidea'' Duby *'' Androsace nivalis'' (Lindl.) Wendelbo *'' Androsace nortonii'' Ludlow *'' Androsace obtusifolia'' All. *'' Androsace occidentalis'' Pursh *''

Androsace ochotensis ''Androsace'', commonly known as rock jasmine, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Primulaceae, second only to ''Primula'' in the number of species. It is predominantly Arctic–alpine, with many species in the Himalayas (where the gen ...

Former ''Douglasia'' species

The online ''Flora of North America'' placed nine species in ''Douglasia'' that are now included in ''Androsace'' (names in ''Androsace'' from ''Plants of the World Online''): *''Douglasia arctica'' = '' Androsace americana'' *''Douglasia alaskana'' = '' Androsace alaskana'' *''Douglasia beringensis'' = '' Androsace beringensis'' *''Douglasia gormanii'' = '' Androsace constancei'' *''Douglasia idahoensis'' = '' Androsace idahoensis'' *''Douglasia laevigata'' = ''

'' *''Douglasia montana'' = '' Androsace montana'' *''Douglasia nivalis'' = '' Androsace nivalis'' *''Douglasia ochotensis'' = ''

New species described in 2021

A group of scientist disentangled the morphology and ecology of ''Androsace'' genius in the French Alps and described three new species in 2021: * '' Androsace vesulensis'' in the ''A. alpina'' group, endemic of the Mont Viso. * '' Androsace saussurei'' and '' A. delphinensis'' in the ''A. pubescens'' group, which grow on siliceous substrate and are endemic to Mont Blanc and Central Alps respectively.

Cultivation

The following species have gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nor ...

’s Award of Garden Merit. All are mat-forming

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...

perennials A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also widel ...

. *''A. lanuginosa'' (woolly rock jasmine) - lilac pink *''A. sempervivoides'' (sempervivum-leaved rock jasmine) - mauve pink *''A. studiosorum'' (rock jasmine) - deep pink

References

External links

Flora of PakistanThe Androsace Group
{{Taxonbar, from=Q157361 Alpine flora Primulaceae genera