Survey of the vascular plants of Alert (Ellesmere Island, Canada), a polar desert at the northern tip of the Americas Author Desjardins, Émilie Author Lai, Sandra Author Payette, Serge Author Dubé, Martin Author Sokoloff, Paul C. Author St-Louis, Annie Author Poulin, Marie-Pier Author Legros, Jade Author Sirois, Luc Author Vézina, François Author Tam, Andrew Author Berteaux, Dominique text Check List 2021 2021-02-09 17 1 181 225 http://dx.doi.org/10.15560/17.1.181 journal article 10.15560/17.1.181 1809-127X Saxifraga oppositifolia Linnaeus subsp. oppositifolia Figure 17F Materials examined. CANADA – Nunavut • Ellesmere Island , CFS Alert ; 82°29′43″N , 61°57′15″W ; 14 m a.s.l. ; 30 Jul. 2019 ; habitat: xeric in a slope, with till and rocks as substrates, and sparse dominance of Salix arctica ; QFA0635002 . Identification. Plants 1.5–3.0 cm high; herbaceous; caespitose (cushion shape) or not caespitose (trailing shape). Taproots and rhizomes present. Stems 1–6 cm long; prostrate, decumbent, or ascending; hairy, with nonglandular hairs. Leaves cauline; sometimes overlapping or imbricate; decussate; subsessile. Cauline leaf blades 2–5 mm long, 1.0– 4.5 mm wide; obovate or obtrullate; bases cuneate; unlobed; green; abaxial and adaxial surfaces both glabrous; margins ciliate, with non-glandular hairs; apices rounded, obtuse, or truncate. Inflorescence a solitary flower. Sepals 5; 2.5–5.0 mm long, 1.6–2.5 mm wide; ovate; purple; surface glabrous or hairy, with nonglandular hairs; margins ciliate; apices obtuse. Petals 5; 4–8 mm long, 3–5 mm wide; obovate; unlobed; purple, pink, or white. Androecium with 9 or 10 stamens and 0.2–0.6 mm long anthers. Gynoecium with 2 styles. Fruit a capsule. Saxifraga oppositifolia differs from all other Saxifraga species present on Ellesmere Island by having purple or pink petals ( Aiken et al. 2007 ; Saarela et al. 2020 ).