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.