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 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.Jepson Manual TreatmentFlora of China
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) are nested within Androsace.Trift I., Anderberg A. A. and Källersjö M. 2002. The monophyly of Primula (Primulaceae) evaluated by analysis of sequences from the chloroplast gene rbcL. Systematic Botany 27(2):396-407 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 and in Europe.
Species , Plants of the World Online recognizes the following 166 species, including those formerly placed in Douglasia and Vitaliana. Androsace adenocephala 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 Steven Androsace alchemilloides Franch. Androsace alpina (L.) Lam. Androsace americana Wendelbo Androsace apus 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 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 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 L. Androsace lactiflora Fisch. ex Willd. Androsace laevigata (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 Roem. & Schult. Androsace ojhorensis Y.J.Nasir Androsace ovalifolia Y.C.Yang Androsace ovczinnikovii Schischk. & Bobrov Androsace pavlovskii Ovcz. Androsace paxiana R.Knuth Androsace × pedemontana Rchb. Androsace phaeoblephara Hand.-Mazz. Androsace podlechii Wendelbo Androsace poissonii R.Knuth Androsace pomeiensis C.M.Hu & Y.C.Yang Androsace pubescens DC. Androsace pyrenaica Lam. Androsace refracta Hand.-Mazz. Androsace rhizomatosa Hand.-Mazz. Androsace rigida Hand.-Mazz. Androsace rioxana A.Segura Androsace rockii W.E.Evans Androsace rotundifolia Hardw. Androsace runcinata Hand.-Mazz. Androsace russellii Y.J.Nasir Androsace sajanensis Stepanov Androsace salasii Kurtz Androsace sarmentosa Wall. Androsace selago Hook.f. & Thomson ex Klatt Androsace sempervivoides Jacquem. ex Duby Androsace septentrionalis L. Androsace sericea Ovcz. Androsace sessiliflora Turrill Androsace similis Craib Androsace spinulifera (Franch.) R.Knuth Androsace squarrosula Maxim. Androsace staintonii Y.J.Nasir Androsace stenophylla (Petitm.) Hand.-Mazz. Androsace strigillosa Franch. Androsace sublanata Hand.-Mazz. Androsace sutchuenensis Franch. Androsace tanggulashanensis Y.C.Yang & R.F.Huang Androsace tapete Maxim. Androsace tibetica (Maxim.) R.Knuth Androsace tonkinensis Bonati Androsace tribracteata R.F.Huang Androsace triflora Adams Androsace umbellata (Lour.) Merr. Androsace vegae R.Knuth Androsace villosa L. Androsace vitaliana (L.) Lapeyr. Androsace wardii W.W.Sm. Androsace wilsoniana Hand.-Mazz. Androsace wulfeniana (Sieber ex W.D.J.Koch) Rchb. Androsace yargongensis Petitm. Androsace zambalensis (Petitm.) Hand.-Mazz. Androsace zayulensis Hand.-Mazz.
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 = Androsace laevigata Douglasia montana = Androsace montana Douglasia nivalis = Androsace nivalis Douglasia ochotensis = Androsace 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's Award of Garden Merit. All are mat-forming evergreen perennials. 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 Pakistan The Androsace Group Androsace Photo Gallery