Alpine plant

Any of a variety of small plants that grow at high altitudes; many are adapted to dry conditions and long periods under snow. The flowers are brightly coloured, the roots large, and the leaves frequently hairy. Most of the flowers are self-pollinated, owing to the scarcity of insects, and vegetative reproduction is common.

Alpine plants are generally shrubs and herbaceous plants. The most numerous of these are the various saxifrages, the edelweiss, rhododendron, campions, lady's mantle, violas and primulas. There is considerable variety among the flowers, as some live on damp soil, others on dry rocky soil. On damp soil such lower plants as mosses and liverworts abound.