the plant family Saxifragaceae, characterized by herbaceous plants, shrubs, and small trees having alternate or opposite leaves, clustered or solitary flowers, and fruit in the form of a berry or capsule, and including the astilbe, currant, deutzia, gooseberry, hydrangea, mock orange, piggy-back plant, saxifrage, and strawberry geranium.
a large and diverse family of evergreen or deciduous herbs; widely distributed in northern temperate and cold regions; sometimes includes genera of the family Hydrangeaceae [syn: Saxifragaceae]
