Sedum oreades

Excluded species

1. Sedum algidum Ledeb. in Fl. Alt. 2:194.1830.

R.R. Stewart (l.c.) has doubtfully cited Duthie, 19453 for Sedum algidum Ledeb., which was collected from Hazara. In Kew the author could not trace Duthie’s specimen 19453 but found 19454 which is Rhodiola fastigiata. Probably, R.R. Stewart inadvertently cited the wrong number. It is distributed in W. Siberia, Altai and NW Mongolia.

2. Sedum himalense D. Don, Prodr. Fl. Nepal, 212. 1825.

Sedum himalense D. Don, a synonym of Rhodiola himalensis (D.Don) S.H.Fu, is reported by Visser from Hunza fide R.R. Stewart (l.c. 336) but the present author could neither examine this nor came across any authentically identified specimen of this species. This taxon is distributed in Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Myanmar and S.W. China.

3. Sedum magae Raym.- Hamet in Fedde, Repert. 13: 350.1914.

Under “Dubiae”, R.R. Stewart (l.c.) has listed this species and cited specimens collected from Hispar Glacier (Koncza) and Tib. Frontier, Cipsiak (T.T.). The present author has not seen any specimen of this species from the area under consideration. It is distributed in Garhwal, Kumaon and Nepal.

4. Sedum roseum (L.) Scop., Fl. Carniol., ed.2,1:326.1772.

R.R. Stewart (l.c.) has reported Sedum roseum (L.) Scop. from Pakistan and cited a number of specimens from Chitral, Gilgit and Deosai plains. The author has not seen any authentically identified specimens of this taxon. He has examined some of these specimens cited by R.R. Stewart viz. (Chitral, S.A. Bowes Lyon 982) and (Chitral, S.A. Bowes Lyon 1087). Both of them are Rhodiola recticaulis not Sedum roseum (L.) Scop. The actual distribution of S. roseum (L.) Scop. (= Rhodiola rosea L.) is in Europe, Arctic USSR, Ural, Siberia, Mongolia, N. China, Korea, Japan, Sakhalin, Kuril Islands, N. America and Greenland.

5. Sedum roseum (L.) Scop. var. atropurpureum (Turcz.) Fröd., The Genus Sedum, pt. 1, 30.1930.

R.R. Stewart (l.c.) has doubtfully reported Sedum roseum (L.) Scop. var. atropurpureum (Turcz.) Fröd. from Baltistan on the authority of de Filippi. The present author has not come across any authentically identified specimen of this taxon. It is distributed in Arctic Siberia, Okhotsk, Sakhalin, Kurile Islands, Kamchatka, Aleutian Islands, Alaska and Western N. America.

6. Sedum rubens L. Sp. Pl. ed. 1. 432. 1753.

Under “Dubiae”R.R. Stewart (l.c.) reported this species from Quetta, Duthie, 8646. According to him this specimen seems to belong to Sedum hispanicum. After having examined the specimen, the present author has also come to the same conclusion.

7. Sedum trollii Werderm in Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berl. 14:349. 1939.

This species is known from “Doyan”, near Astor, 3200 m, Troll 7583 (Type). Presently the Type is untraceable, hence the correct identity of the taxon could not be determined.

Annual herb. Root fibrous. Stem 3-12 cm high, erect-suberect, branched, glabrous. Leaves alternate, sessile, fleshy, glabrous, oblong-lanceolate, entire, acute-obtuse, 6-8 x 1-2 mm. Cymes, 2-5-flowered. Flowers pedicellate, pedicel 1-3 mm long, 5-merous, small, bisexual, white or yellow, glabrous. Sepals free, 5-6 x 1-2 mm, lanceolate, acute, glabrous. Petals connate at the base, 6-10 x 1.5-4 mm, obovate-spathulate, obtuse, white or yellow, glarbous. Stamens 10 or sometimes 5, with 5 staminodes, in two whorls, 3.5-6 mm long. Nectar scales spathulate, 0.8-1.5 x 0.2-0.3 mm. Carpels 5, connate at the base, 5-7 x 0.8-1 mm, style short, stigma capitate. Follicles 5, 6-8 x 1-1.5 mm. Seeds 30-52 per fruit, ellipsoid, 0.5-1 x 0.2-0.3 mm.

Stems simple or branched from base, tufted, 2.5-12 cm. Leaves alternate, gradually larger toward stem apex; leaf blade lanceolate to broadly oblong, 3-9 mm, veins several, base obtuse or 3-lobed spurred, apex acute. Cyme corymbiform, 1- to several flowered. Flowers subsessile, unequally 5-merous. Sepals oblong to obovate-lanceolate, 7-7.5 × 2-2.2 mm, base spurred, margin entire or minutely erose, apex acute. Petals yellow, obovate to obovate-lanceolate, 6-9.8(-12) × 2.5-3.5 mm, base connate for 1.2-1.3(-3) mm, shortly clawed, margin ± minutely erose, apex mucronate. Stamens 10; antesepalous ones 2.5-3.5 mm; antepetalous ones 2.5-3.5 mm, inserted 1-1.5(-3) mm from petal base. Nectar scales nearly linear-spatulate. Carpels erect, lanceolate, base connate for 0.3-0.5(-0.7) mm; ovules many. Seeds obovoid-oblong, minutely mammillate. Fl. Jul-Aug, fr. Sep-Oct.

Himalaya (Kashmir, Lahul, Garhwal to Bhutan), S. Tibet, Assam, Burma, S.W. China (Yunnan).

Distribution: Pakistan, China, (Xizang, Yunnan) Bhutan, Myanmar, and India (Assam).

SE Xizang, NW Yunnan [Bhutan, India, Myanmar, N Pakistan, Sikkim].

3200-5200 m

Fl.Per.: June-September.

Grows between 3000-4000 m in rock crevices.

Grasslands, rocks on slopes; 3000-4500 m.

Umbilicus oreades Decaisne in Jacquemont, Voy. Inde 4(Bot.): 62. 1844; Cotyledon oreades (Decaisne) C. B. Clarke; Sedum piloshanense Fröderström.