ARENARIUM  Brotero, 1805

Synonyms :

Sedum anglicum ssp. arenarium  (Brotero) Coutinho (1913)

Sedum anglicum [?] arenarium  Sampaio (1947)

Distribution : Portugal to western and central Spain, abundant on sandy and gravelly places from lower altitudes.

Description (by 't Hart & Bleij in IHSP 2003) :

Glabrous annual herbs with erect or spreading and ascending shoots, shoots usually basally much branched, often red, to 10 (-12) cm tall.

Leaves alternate, sessile with a short spur, ovoid to oblong and terete or semiterete, 3 - 4,5 mm, obtuse, bright green often tinged red.

Inflorescences : Cymes with 2-3 cincinni, bracts 2 per flower, pedicels 0.5 - 1 mm.

FIowers 5-merous, sepals basally free, spurred, unequal, oblong or elliptic, to 2,5 mm, obtuse, petals free, lanceolate, acuminate, 3 - 5 mm, white, often tinged red, filaments white, anthers red.

Cytology : 2n = 24, 48.

A very variable species, belonging to the comparium of Ser. Anglica 't Hart. As the synonyms show it has long been considered to be no more than a variety of S. anglicum of which - without flowers - it is not easily distinguished.

See also S. anglicum and S. farinosum