This excellent group of rock garden plants is known as the section Ligulatae, or more commonly as the silver or encrusted saxifrages, in recognition of the deposits of lime that line the leaves. They all have rosettes, large or small depending on the variety, and have relatively large panicles of flowers, usually white. They come from rocky places in the mountains, some on limestone and some on acid rocks.

Saxifraga callosa is an encrusted saxifrage from the north of Italy and in the mountains further west, with rosettes of narrow leathery leaves, heavily lime-encrusted and widening towards the tips. It has long arching stems densely packed with pure white flowers.