ATUNTSUENSIS  (Praeger) S.H Fu, 1965

Synonyms :

Sedum atuntsuense  Praeger (1921) / Chamaerhodiola atuntsuensis  (Praeger) Nakai (1934) /

Rhodiola nobilis ssp. atuntsuensis  (Praeger) Ohba (1982)

Sedum concinnum  Praeger (1921) / Rhodiola concinna  (Praeger) S.H.Fu (1965)

Sedum venustum  Praeger (1921) / Rhodiola venusta  (Praeger) S.H.Fu (1965)

Sedum aporonticum  Fröderström (1944) / Rhodiola aporontica  (Fröderström) S.H.Fu (1965)

Sedum brevipetiolatum  Fröderström (1944) / Rhodiola brevipetiolata  (Fröderström) S.H.Fu (1965)

Type (Lectotype) : Kingdon Ward 962, Yunnan, China.

Subgenus Rhodiola, Section Chamaerhodiola

Etymology : for the occurrence at A-tun-tsu, Yunnan, China.

Distribution : E Tibet, N Myanmar, SW China (W Sichuan, NW Yunnan); forests, glacial valleys, rocks, gravel areas, 3100 - 5000 m.

Description (by H. Ohba in IHSP, 2003) :

Dioecious, 4 - 12 cm tall, rhizomes nearly cylindrical, to 1 cm in diameter.

Flowering stems 1.2 - 1.5 mm in diameter, smooth, not umbellately verticillate in age, ascending.

Leaves narrowly obovate to oblong, 4 - 8 x 1.6 - 3 mm, tip round, base (shortly) attenuate, margin

entire to sparsely and irregularly crenulate.

Inflorescences 4- to 20-flowered.

Flowers : Calyx 3 - 4.5 mm, smooth, sepals very narrowly oblong to subulate, 1.8 - 3 mm, petals narrowly oblong to oblong, 3.5 - 4.5 mm (male) or 2.8 - 3 mm (female), creamy or pale pink, stamens longer than the petals, nectar scales narrowly oblong to oblong, 0.7 - 1.2 mm, carpels 5 - 7 mm (female) [or 4 - 5 mm (male)], each with ca 6 ovules, seeds ca1.5 mm, linear.

Flowering time : August.

R. atuntsuensis is distinguished from R. nobilis by its densely fastigiate straight flowering stems, by the narrowly obovate to oblong leaves and by the more numerous flowers per inflorescence.