SEDOIDES  Lidén & P.Bharali, 2016

Subgenus Primuloides, section Primuloides (?)

Etymology : Refering to the vegetative habit and leaves resembling those of a Sedum.

Distribution : Locally common around Se La on the border of the West Kameng and Tawang districts in NW Arunachal Pradesh, on vertical cliffs, cliff ledges and mossy rocks from 4100 - 4400 m.

Description :

Perennials, forming low cushions or mats.

Rootstock ca 1 cm broad, crowned by few to several perennial, apparently monopodial caudex shoots 2 - 4 mm thick, 2 - 10 mm long, clad throughout with imbricate dark marcescent scale-like leaves.

Fresh leaves monomorphic, pale green, erect, 6 - 10 in a tight apical rosette, thin, oblong-triangular, subobtuse, 2.5 - 4 mm, margin involute, not differentiated into petiole and lamina, persistent.

Annual stems axillary from last years caudex leaves, 2 - 6 from each shoot, always simple, 2 - 4 cm, ascending to sub-erect, sparsely leafy in lower half, very densely so in upper half, not persistent, the majority producing flowers.

Stem leaves alternate, very fleshy, 2 - 7 x 0.5 - 2 mm, increasing in size and density towards upper part of stem, minutely spurred at base, (at least lower leaves) not or indistinctly petiolate, narrowly ellipsoidal, obtuse to subacute, obtusely semicircular to broadly elliptic in cross section, green (tip usually purplish), finely white-papillate throughout.

Flowers 5-merous, perfect, solitary, sessile, densely surrounded by leaves set on a thickened stem apex, sepals free, 3 - 4 x 2 mm, ovate, acute, with green (often reddish-tinted) keeled fleshy apex and thin translucent slightly dentate margins, corolla white, sometimes with a pinkish tinge, petals free, overlapping, 7 - 9 x 5 mm, erect, not sharply set off, limb rounded or shortly pointed, finely erose-dentate,stamens 10, 5 mm long, filaments pale pink, anthers blackish purple.

Rhodiola sedoides does not cleosely resemble any other Sino-Himalayan alpine species.