TIANSCHANICUM   Byalt & Laskov, 2006

Section Hylotelephium

Distribution : Southern Kirgistan  (western Tien Shan), growing among the remains of the walnut forest.

Description :

Perennial, glabrous, polycarpic plants.

Roots wispy, filamentous or cordlike (not globularly thickened).

Stems 1-4. 25-40 cm tall, ascending or nearly erect, 3-6 mm dia. at base, green or purple.

Leaves opposite, 2-5 cm long, 1.5-3 cm wide, almost spoon-like-concave, , oblong or ovate, sessile, slightly cordate at base, almost amplexicaul, glaucous-green, apex blunt.

Inflorescence laxly corymbiform-paniculate, 4-10 cm wide, lateral branches arising from axils of upper leaves; peduncle long, thick, multi-flowered, strong; pedicels almost equal to flowers, 3-4 mm long, thick; bracts thick, lower ones longer, rounded, acute, concave, upper ones small, oblong or lanceolate, acute, 1-1.5 mm long.

Flowers 5- (rarely 4-6-) merous, bole-shaped; calyx 2-3 times shorter than corolla, 1-1.5 mm long, pale green, with very short tube, with triangular, acute lobes; petals 2.8-3.2 mm long, white or pinkish at apex, ovate, acute, apex carinate, somewhat spreading; stamens 10 (rarely 8-12), filaments white thread-like, with almost globular yellow anthers, 0.4-0.5 mm in diam.

H. tianschanicum is closely related to H. telephium ssp. ruprechtii.