GRANDIFLORUM  Haworth, 1821

Synonyms :

Sempervivum globiferum  Curtis (1801) (nom. illeg.)

Sempervivum globiferum  Gaudin (1828) (nom. illeg.)

Sempervivum gaudinii  Christ (1867) / Sempervivum wulfenii ssp. gaudinii  (Christ) Nyman (1890)

Sempervivum braunii  Arcangeli (1882) (nom. illeg.)

Section Sempervivum

Distribution : NW Italy, SW Switzerland (W-C part of the S Alps [Susa to Simplon]), calcifuge.

Description (according to 't Hart, Bleij & Zonneveld in IHSP, 2003) :

Rosettes pubescent, rather lax, flattish, 2 - 10 (-22) cm in diameter.

Stolons leafy, spreading, 10 - 20 cm.

Leaves oblong-cuneate, cuspidate, densely pubescent, both faces convex, dark green with reddish-brown tip, with strong resinous or foetid odour, 3 - 6 (-12) x 1 cm.

Flowering branches 10 - 30 cm, leaves oblong to lanceolate, ± 3 x 1 cm.

Inflorescences cymes with 3 forked cincinni.

Flowers 10- to 15-merous, 2 - 5 cm in diameter, sepals connate, to 2 mm, acute, very fleshy, yellow or greenish-yellow, 5 - 7 mm, petals linear-lanceolate, acuminate, yellowish, with a basal purple spot, 10 - 20 x 2 - 3 mm, filaments purple, anthers yellow.

Cytology : 2n = 80

See also : Alan Smith, The Genus Sempervivum and Jovibarba, 1980