S. grandiflorum - in general

HABITAT
Northwest Italy, Switzerland
Endemic to western Alps (Piedmont Alps Graie, Pennine and Lepontine, Valais)
Cliffs and rocks, acidic soils, from (1.300 to 2.500 m above sea level)

DESCRIPTION
Plant is similar to S. tectorum, it is distinguished by dark green colour and grandular hairs and also by very long stolons and resinous smell.
Rosette leaves are oblong, wedge-shaped, hairy and glandular ciliate, the tip horny and dark brown.
Rosettes are usually 5 -10 cm in diameter, occasionally even up to 22 cm.

FLOWER
Inflorescence is 15-30 cm high, it has glandular hairs. The flowers are yellow to greenish yellow, rarely white. The leaf base of the petals is purple. Diamether of flower is 2 – 5 cm.

STOLONS
Stolons are long and slender. Stolons are 7 - 22 cm long.

FLOWERING PERIOD
July-August

NATURAL HYBRIDS
S. grandiflorum hybridizes easily with S. arachnoideum and S. montanum, sharing the habitat and the area of growth.

PROTECTION
Considering the limited range of dissemination, S. grandiflorum is under protection in Italy, as well as in Switzerland.

ETYMOLOGY OF SPECIES' NAME
The specific attribute »grandiflorum« refers to the size of the flowers, larger than the species congeners.

ITALIAN NAME
Semprevivo a fiori grandi

SLOVENE NAME
velikocvetni netresk

GERMAN NAME
Großblütige Hauswurz, Gaudins Hauswurz

ENGLISH NAME
Large flowered houseleek

Here are some photos from Zurich Botanical Garden (31.10.2011.)