KAMTSCHATICUS  (FISCHER & C.A.Meyer) 't Hart, 1995

Synonyms :

Sedum kamtschaticum  Fischer & C.A.Meyer (1841) / Sedum aizoon ssp. kamtschaticum  (Fischer & C.A.Meyer) Fröderström (1929)  / Aizopsis kamtschatica  (Fischer & C.A.Meyer) Grulich (1984)

Sedum kamtschaticum  fa variegatum  Praeger (1921)

Sedum kamtschaticum  fa angustifolium  Komarov  (1929)

Sedum kurilense  Voroschilov (1965) / Sedum sikokianum ssp. kurilense  (Voroschilov) Voroschilov (1985) / Aizopsis kurilensis  (Voroschilov) S.Gontcharova (1999)

Distribution : Russia (North-East Siberia), North, Central and East China, Japan, Korea.

Description (by 't Hart & Bleij in IHSP, 2003) :

Glabrous herbs with a strong and woody rhizome and numerous spreading-ascending stems.

Leaves alternate, broadly ovate to narrowly oblanceolate or linear-lanceolate, spatulate or rhombic, obtuse, usually dentate, glabrous, shortly petiolate, 3.4 – 5 (-7) cm long, dark green; flowering branches 7 – 25 (-40) cm.

Inflorescences terminal, flattish, with (1-) 3 (-5) cincinni, bracts small, lanceolate, entire.

Flowers 5- to 6-meros, (sub-)sessile, sepals linear to lanceolate or ovate, obtuse, to 4.5 mm, petals connate for up to 2 mm, oblong to lanceolate, apiculate or rather long-mucronate, carinate, 7 – 9 mm, yellow, filaments nearly as long as the petals, yellow, anthers orange.

Cytology : 2n = 32, 48, 48 – 64, 64, 80, 96, 112, 128.

Note :

Ph. kamtschaticus is a very variable species and common in cultivation. The probably most widespread forms are Ph. kamtschaticus var. floriferus and its cultivar ‘Weihenstephaner Gold’ - both fairly rapid growers.
As plants are not especially succulent they enjoy a rather wet climate and suffer from drought.