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what does mat forming mean in relation to alpines?

Edit : does it mean creeping?

[inishindie]

It'll be really dense growth that spreads along the ground.

The plants can creep along and root as they grow forming a bigger mat, a lot of alpines tend to die off in the middle though when this happens.

If you think where the plants originate from...the open mountain slopes, they would need to be growing low, tight and compact to survive....

[Eamon]

I have one at the bottom of one of my rockeries. It has spread quite a bit, over a foot in less than a year. I'm wondering if I peel off a portion, or portions, could it be transferred to another area?

[Her Outdoors]

You should be able to. I have a ground cover plant called Arabis and it started it's life in a 3" pot. I now have it sowed right down the side of a slope in blocks. I take a clump each year and divide it .You only need a small piece of root and it will take off. It does get a bit straggly after a couple of years, when it does, just dig it up and sow a piece in it's place and a few more pieces any where you want them.

[Eamon]

That's good. I'm going to try it out and see if the clumps will take. Thanks for sharing the knowledge.