Androsace

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.

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. 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