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)

Section Chamaerhodiola

Distribution : Eastern Tibet, northern Myanmar, south-western China (western Sichuan, north-western Yunnan); forests, glacial valleys, rocks, gravel areas, 3100 - 5000 m.

Description (according to 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.

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.