Sedum spathulifolium
Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 227. 1832,.
Herbs, perennial, mat-forming, glabrous. Stems rhizomatous, procumbent or creeping, much-branched, bearing terminal rosettes. Leaves alternate, spreading, petiolate; blade green, often glaucous or pruinose, spatulate, terete to laminar, 7–19 × 4.5–10 mm, base not spurred, not scarious, apex rounded or truncate, submucronate, (surfaces papillose marginally). Flowering shoots erect, simple, 3–14 cm; leaf blades spatulate-oblong or elliptic-oblong, base not spurred; offsets not formed. Inflorescences cymes, ca. 30-flowered, ca. 3-branched; branches not recurved, forked; bracts oblong-spatulate or linear, ca. 3 cm, base not spurred. Pedicels 2–8 mm. Flowers 5-merous; sepals spreading to erect, connate basally, green or yellow-green, glaucous or pruinose, lanceolate, linear-lanceolate, oblong-ovate, or obovate, equal, ca. 2.5 × 1.5 mm, apex acute or obtuse; petals widely spreading from short, erect base, distinct or slightly connate basally, yellow, linear to oblanceolate, not carinate, 4.5–9 mm, apex acute; filaments yellow; anthers yellow; nectar scales yellow, reniform or nearly square. Carpels divergent in fruit, connate basally, brown. 2n = 30.
Distribution
w North America.
Discussion
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
The mature carpels of Sedum spathulifolium have five ribs and prominent lips along the adaxial suture. The flowers are sweetly fragrant.
Selected References
None.
Key
| 1 | Primary rosettes 2.5-3.7 cm diam.; leaf blades not pruinose, glaucous or not, 1.4-2.1 mm thick; flowers 1.2-1.6 cm diam. | Sedum spathulifolium var. spathulifolium |
| 1 | Primary rosettes 1.5-2.1 cm diam.; leaf blades pruinose, not glaucous, 2.1-2.5 mm thick; flowers 1-1.2 cm diam. | Sedum spathulifolium var. pruinosum |