DISCOLOR (Franchet) S.H.Fu, 1965

Synonyms :

Sedum discolor  Franchet (1896) / Sedum bupleuroides var. discolor  (Franchet) Fröderström (1930)

Section Rhodiola

Distribution : Nepal, Sikkim, south-eastern Tibet, south-western China (western Sichuan, north-western Yunnan); forests, grassy slopes, rocky cliffs, 2800 - 4300 m.

Description (according to H. Ohba in IHSP, 2003) :

Dioecious, to 25 cm tall. 

Rhizomes cylindrical, elongate, 0.7 - 1.4 cm in diameter, branched.

Flowering stems 2 - 3 from each rhizome branch, smooth, glabrous, pale green, 1.5 - 2.5 mm in diameter.

Leaves spreading, sessile, linear-ovate or narrowly oblong-elliptic, 9 – 25 x 2 - 4 mm, glabrous, lower face pale green and glaucous, near tip often reddish, tip acute, base truncate, margin remotely and irregularly denticulate.

Inflorescences 6- to 20-flowered, pedicels glabrous.

Flowers : Calyx 3.5 - 5 mm, glabrous, sepals triangular-lanceolate or subulate, 2.5 - 3 mm, petals dark purplish-red or deep purple, oblong-elliptic to oblong-lanceolate (male), oblong to oblong-lanceolate (female), 5 - 6 mm (male) or 3 - 4 mm (female), stamens distinctly shorter than the petals, anthers dark purple or dark purplish red.

Flowering time : Mid-June to mid-August.