Saxifrage,  Saxifraga Californica

Early bloomer.   5 small rounded petals, leaves clustered at base of stems.  The flowers are very tiny, as seen by comparison to a dime in the photo below.  Often found sprouting from between rocks.  Name means rock breaker.

Notes:  Saxifrage family.  Characterized by broad, basal leaves and slender, hairy, leafless stems.  Tiny white hairs on the leaves.  This species has pure white flowers.   It can be showy even as early as February.  This genus has about 400 species worldwide.  The USDA (follow link below) lists 67 Species and 105 accepted taxa overall.  Saxifraga means stone-breaker  in reference to the rocky habitats of some species and probably to the use of some species in dissolving gallstones.

Click on species name below to go to USDA for this plant

Kingdom Plantae -- Plants 
    Subkingdom Tracheobionta -- Vascular plants 
        Superdivision Spermatophyta -- Seed plants 
            Division Magnoliophyta -- Flowering plants 
                Class Magnoliopsida -- Dicotyledons 
                    Subclass Rosidae 
                        Order Rosales 
                            Family Saxifragaceae -- Saxifrage family 
                                Genus Saxifraga L. -- saxifrage
                                    Species Saxifraga californica Greene
                                    -- California saxifrage

Saxifrage,  Saxifraga Californica