KOSANINII Praeger, 1930
Section Sempervivum
Distribution : Former S Yugoslavia (Macedonia); limestone, 1800 - 2000 m.
Description (according to 't Hart, Bleij & Zonneveld in IHSP, 2003) :
Rosettes large, dense, flat, open, 6 - 8 cm in diameter.
Stolons strong, leafy, to 12 cm, with strong offsets.
Leaves oblanceolate, shortly acuminate, ± 30 x 9 mm, densely glandular-pubescent, dark green, purple at the tips, white at the base, marginal cilia 2x as long as the normal pubescence.
Flowering branches stout, 15 - 20 cm, leaves somewhat longer and narrower than in the rosettes, shortly glandular-pubescent, red in the upper part.
Flowers 12- to 14- merous, 2 - 3 cm in diameter, sepals connate to 5 mm, linear-lanceolate, subacute, 7 - 9 mm, petals linear, acuminate, reddish-purple ventrally, greenish dorsally, with narrow white margins, 10 - 12 mm, filaments purple, anthers pale red, styles subulate, purplish, 3 - 3.5 mm.
Cytology : 2n = 68
Closely related to S. marmoreum and most probably derived from one of its subspecies by autopolyploidization or through allopolyploidy after hybridization between S. marmoreum and another, still unknown, diploid red-flowered taxon.
See also : Alan Smith, The Genus Sempervivum and Jovibarba, 1980