OLIGOSPERMUM Maire, 1939
Synonyms :
Sedum bracteatum Diels (1900) (nom. illeg. Ar. 53.1).
Sedum amplibracteatum K.T.Fu (1974) (nom. illeg. Art. 52.1).
Type : von Rosthorn 787, China
Distribution : Myanmar, China (Gansu, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan); shady moist slopes in forests, rocks, 1100 – 2800 m.
Description (by 't Hart, Bleij & Eggli in IHSP, 2003) :
Perennial herbs.
Leaves alternate or in whorls of 3, oblong to obovate, subobtuse to subacute, long pseudo-petiolate, 3 – 7 cm, deciduous towards the stem base.
Flowering branches weak, fleshy, to 50 cm.
Inflorescences lax cymes with ca 3 cincinni, these sometimes forked, bracts (sub-)orbicular, to 6 mm.
Flowers 5-merous, sepals broadly sessile, triangular, subacute, ca 0.5 mm, petals oblong, subacute, 5 – 6 mm, yellowish, styles to 5 mm, nectar scales linear-subspatulate, fruit subdivergent, few-seeded, seed large, fusiform.
Related to S. wilsonii, S. tetractinum, S. triactinum and S. leptophyllum, and classified in Ser. Bracteata (Fröderström) S.H.Fu (Fu & Fu 1984). These species have no affinities, however, with Phedimus, notwithstanding their flat and relatively large leaves and broadly sessile sepals, but belong to Sedum s.str. and may be close to Ser. Japonica, which is characterised by flat, alternate or whorled leaves, yellow flowers and reticulate or reticulate-papillose seeds.
The nomenclaturally correct name for this taxon was pointed out by Byalt (2001b).
Two varieties :
Sedum oligospermum var. emarginatum (S.H.Fu) Byalt, 2001