SHERRIFFII  Ohba, 1978

Synonym : Sedum sherriffii  (Ohba) J.P.Kozhevnikov (1989)

Type : Ludlow & al., 15394. Tibet

Subgenus Rhodiola, section Rhodiola

Etymology : named for George Sherriff, British explorer of Tibet and Bhutan.

Distribution : E Himalaya (Sikkim, Bhutan), SE Tibet; thickets, grassy slopes, moist places, rocks, 4000 - 5000 m.

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

Dioecious, to 30 cm tall.

Rhizomes cylindrical, 1 - 2.5 cm in diameter.

Flowering stems fastigiate, glabrous, smooth, 2 - 4 (-6) mm in diameter.

Leaves ascending, sessile, oblanceolate to narrowly oblong, 1 - 3 cm x 2 – 7 mm, densely papillate on the upper face, tip acute, base attenuate, margin entire.

Inflorescences 40- to 100- (male) or 10- to 20-flowered (female), 2 - 4.5 cm in diameter,pedicels 2 - 8 mm, densely papillate.

FIowers 6 - 10 mm in diameter,calyx 3 - 4.5 mm, glabrous, sepals narrowly oblong, 3 – 4.5 mm, petals pale greenish-yeIlow, oblong-oblanceolate, 4 - 6 mm, spreading, stamens distinctly longer than the petals, anthers rose, nectar scales 0.5 - 0.8 mm, carpels 6 - 12 mm, each with ca 8 ovules, styles ca 0.5 mm, seeds elliptic, 3.5 - 4.2 mm, shortly tailed, brown, reticulate.