Dudleya saxosa subsp. saxosa

This species grows from basal rosettes which emerge from a caudex. The caudex is 1 to 1.5 cm in diameter. There are 1 to 4 rosettes per plant, which can be 6 to 20 cm wide. The leaves are 3 to 9 cm long, 3 to 15 mm wide, and 1.5 to 3 mm thick, with the base 5 to 15 mm wide.[1]

The inflorescence emerges from a peduncle 5 to 20 cm tall, and 2 to 4 mm wide. The lower internodes are generally greater than 5 mm apart. There are 3 first degree branches, with the terminal branches (cincinni) not wavy, the terminal branches 1 to 4 cm long, 2 to 9 flowered. The pedicels are 5 to 10 mm long. The flower has petals that are 9 to 12 mm long, colored bright yellow, and generally tinged with red.[1][2]

This species was described as Cotyledon saxosum by Marcus E. Jones, based on a plant he found growing in Panamint Canyon in 1897.[3] In their revision of North American Crassulaceae, Nathaniel Lord Britton and Joseph Nelson Rose placed this species as Dudleya saxosa.[4] It was reduced to an autonym, Dudleya saxosa subsp. saxosa with Reid Moran's subsequent changes to the taxonomy of Dudleya.[5]

The plant is a well-isolated polyploid compared to the other subspecies of Dudleya saxosa, differing in its smaller size. It has a chromosome number of 2n = 136 and 2n = 170.[1][2]

This species is found growing on north-facing, granitic or limestone cliffs and rocky slopes. It is found only in the western Panamint Mountains of California.[1][2]