From a distance, it looks like a rock. Up close, it is a living carpet. Raoulia subsericea forms dense, grey-green cushions that blend into the stony alpine landscape. It is the silver cushion plant. The leaves are small and narrow. They are covered in fine silvery hairs. They are pressed tight against the stem, overlapping like roof tiles. The flowers are small and yellow. They are clustered at the tips of the cushions. They appear in summer. Raoulia subsericea grows on rocky slopes, in scree, on exposed ridges. It likes sun. It likes wind. It hates competition. It grows where other plants cannot survive. The name subsericea means silky, referring to the hairy leaves. The plant is soft to touch. The species is endemic to New Zealand. It is found only in the South Island mountains. In the alpine zone, silver cushion plant is an important pioneer. It stabilises scree. It creates microhabitats for other plants. It is often the first to colonise bare rock. The genus Raoulia is famous for its cushion plants. Some species are called "vegetable sheep" because they look like sheep from a distance. Raoulia subsericea is smaller. The junior edition. Silver cushion plant is not threatened. It is common in suitable habitat. But alpine areas are threatened by climate change. Plants are being pushed to higher elevations. There is nowhere left to go. Raoulia subsericea is a reminder. The high places have their own plants. Camouflaged. Resilient. Ancient. Living rocks. Raoulia subsericea has no recognised Māori name. The alpine zone was not heavily used by Māori, but the cushion plants of the high mountains were known for their strangeness. They look like nothing else. They are part of the spiritual landscape of the mountains. Do not walk on it. Keep your distance. It is protected. It keeps going.