Sedum

FURFURACEUM   Moran, 1961

Distribution:  Mexico (San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato), on rocks on pine-covered hillsides, ± 2100 m.

 

Description (according to 't Hart & Bleij in IHSP 2003) :

 

Glabrous perennial herbs with prostrate to ascending, sparsely branching stems, densely papillose near the tips, flattened at each node, 5 – 15 cm tall, growing sympodially past the terminal old inflorescence.

 

Leaves in whorls of 5, subtriquetrous-ovoid, obtuse, with margins and keels as obvious ridges, with tiny scales on the surface, 6 – 11 x 4.5 – 6 mm, 4 -5 mm thick; flowering branches erect.

 

Inflorescences sessile with 1 -3 flowers, bracts elliptic-oblong, obtuse, subtriquetrous, ± 3.5 mm, pedicels  ± 1 mm, irregularly rugose-papillose.

 

Flowers 5-merous, sepals unequal in width, elliptic-ovate, obtuse to rounded, subterete, with somewhat flaky cuticle, 2 – 2.5 x 1 – 2 mm, ascending, appressed to the corolla, petals basally connate, broadly lanceolate, acute, canaliculated, ± 4.5 mm, whitish to purplish-red, anthers light red.

 

Cytology : 2n = 68.

 

This species is related to S. hernandezii.

 

Ray Stephenson writes (Sedum, Cultivated Stonecrops, 1994, p. 236) : "This species cannot be mistaken for any other, for the dark-colored, scaly, wavy, mealy egg-shaped leaves tightly packed on short, thick, tortuos stems are unique."

See also : First description by Reid Moran : Sedum furfuraceum, a new species from San Luis Potosi, Mexico.

Plants in habitat, Mexico : 

 

Photos Gerhard Köhres
Photo Margrit Bischofberger
Photos Noelene Tomlinson
Photo Stefan Neuwirth

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