BREVIFOLIUM   De Candolle, 1808

Synonyms :

Sedum dasyphyllum ssp. brevifolium  (DC) Rouy & Camus (1901) / Oreosedum brevifolium  (DC) Grulich (1984)

Sedum sphaericum  Lapeyrouse (1813)

Sedum brevifolium var. induratum  Cosson (1873)

Sedum brevifolium var. cineritium  Merino (1905) / Sedum cineritium  (Merino) Merino (1909)

Sedum brevifolium var. quinquefarium  Praeger (1921) / Sedum quinquefarium  (Praeger) R. L. Evans (1983) / Sedum brevifolium fa. quinquefarium  (Praeger) R. Stephenson (1994)

Sedum brevifolium var. pottsii Hort. Potts ex Praeger (1921)

Distribution : SW Europe (Andorra, Spain, Portugal, France, Sardinia, Corsica), NW Africa (Morocco).

Description (according to IHSP, 2003) :

Glabrous, often completely pruinose, perennial herbs with branching and rooting, trailing and apically ascending non-flowering shoots.

Leaves decussate or rarely alternate, usually densely packed, sessile, oblong to ovoid or (sub-) globose, to 1.5 – 5 mm, obtuse, terete, pruinose, glaucous or shiny dark green often red, flowering branches simple, to 10 cm tall.

Inflorescences rather lax cymes with (1-) 2 (-3) cincinni, bracts 1 per flower, small, pedicels 2 – 4 mm.

Flowers 5-merous, sepals broadly sessile, basally connate, equal, ovate, 1 – 1.5 mm, acute, petals ± free, ovate-lanceolate, ± 4 mm, obtuse to apiculate, white or rarely pinkish, outside often reddish-green, anthers red.

Cytology : 2n = 36

Sedum brevifolium ressemble à S. dasyphyllum. Il s'en distingue, entre autres, par ses feuilles complètement arrondies, alors qu'elles sont plates sur le dessus chez S. dasyphyllum.