Rolling Hen-and-chicks

Also known as Globe Houseleek, Rolling Houseleek, Hen and Chickens

Spherical offsets form on fragile thread-like stems that snap in the wind or underfoot, allowing the tiny globe-shaped daughter rosettes to roll across scree slopes and root in distant crevices. Mature rosettes produce upright bristly stalks bearing pale yellow to greenish bell-shaped flowers with fringed petals before completing their life cycle and dying. Their compact succulent leaves store scarce mountain moisture and feature specialized pigments that protect against intense alpine ultraviolet radiation.