MACROCARPA (Praeger) S.H.Fu, 1965

Synonyms :

Sedum macrocarpum  Praeger (1921)

Sedum eurycarpum  Fröderström (1924) / Chamaerhodiola eurycarpa  (Fröderström) Nakai (1934) / Rhodiola eurycarpa  (Fröderström) S.H.Fu (1965)

Sedum progressum  Diels (1930)

Type (lecto) : Kingdon-Ward 3412, Burma.

Subgenus Rhodiola, section Rhodiola

Etymology : Gr. ‘makros’ = large, and ‘karpos’ = fruit.

Distribution : South-eastern Tibet, Myanmar, China (Gansu, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Sichuan, north-western Yunnan), rocks on slopes, 2900 - 4300 m.

Description (by H. Ohba in IHSP, 2003) :

Dioecious, to 50 cm tall. 

Rhizomes subcylindrical, usuaIly 8 - 12 mm in diameter, simple to sparsely branched, often stoloniferous.

Flowering stems 2 (-3), 2 - 4 mm in diameter, papillate.

Leaves ± remote throughout, sessile, obtrullate to linear-oblanceolate, 2 - 4.5 x 0.4 - 1.1 cm, glabrous, tip acute, base attenuate, margin sparsely denticulate to roughly serrate, papillate.

Inflorescences compact, 20- to 40-flowered, 3 - 7 cm in diameter, pedicels 2 - 4 mm, densely papillate.

Flowers : Calyx glabrous, tube ± 0.5 mm, sepals linear-subulate, 4 - 5 mm (male) or 4.5 - 7 mm (female), petals pale yellowish-green, eIliptic (male) or subulate with round tip (female), 4.8 - 5.5 mm (male) or 3.2 - 3.7 mm (female), stamens longer than the petals, anthers purplish-red.

Flowering time : July to September.