Sedum tetractinum Photo by: Forest Starr & Kim Starr
Habit at Kula Ace Hardware and Nursery, Maui, Hawaii (USA). September 06, 2007.
Origin and Habitat: People's Republic of China (Anhui, Guangdong, Guizhou, Jiangxi.)
Altitude range: Around 500-1000 metres above sea level.
Habitat and ecology: Sedum tetractinumSN|29167]]SN|29167]] grows among rocks near streams.
Synonyms:
Common Names include:
ENGLISH: Chinese stonecrop, Fish-scale sedum
CHINESE (中文): 四芒景天, Si mang jing tian
Description: Sedum tetractinum, also known as 'Chinese stonecrop' or 'Fish-scale sedum', is a low growing herbaceous perennial succulent ground hugger. It spreads by runners forming a mat of overlapping, rounded foliage which resembles fish scales. The green to bronze foliage sports fabulous burgundy autumnal colour. Flower spikes of tiny star-shaped yellow flowers appear over the shiny foliage during summer. Plants root at their tips to eventually form large carpets.
Stems: Sterile stems ever-lengthening, wiry, decumbent, branched, brittle, rooting at nodes often trailing and nearly rhyzomatous. Flowering stems simple or branched, erect or prostrate, 9-15 cm long.
Leaves: Alternate, or 2-3-verticillate forming rosettes at the branch tips, ovate to orbiculate, 15-32 mm long, 10-13 mm wide, pseudopetiolate, basally abruptly and narrowly cuneate, apex rounded, minutely papillate, bright green turning dark bronze or burgundi often deciduous in winter.
Inflorescence: Scorpioid, pedunculate, bracts shortly petiolate, orbicular, 4-5 mm, apex minutely papilliferous.
Flowers: Tetramerous, petals lanceolate-oblong. Sepals narrowly triangular, ca. 0.8 mm long apex obtuse. Petals lanceolate-oblong, 3.5-5 lonh about 1 mm broad, apex obtuse. Stamens 8, in two series slightly shorter than petals; antepetalous ones inserted approx. 0.8 mm from petal base. Nectar scales broadly spatulate, 0.7 × 0.4 mm, apex obtuse. Carpels 4, divergent, 4-5 mm, base connate. Styles approx. 0.8 mm. Sedum flowers are very attractive to bees and butterflies.
Blooming season: Late summer (August to september in habitat).
Fruits (Follicles): Russet, many seeded.
Seeds: Ovoid, 1-1.2 mm, mammillate.
Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Forest & Kim Starr “Crassulaceae > Sedum tetractinum (Chinese sedum)”. Plants of Hawaii. <http://www.starrenvironmental.com>. 23 Oct. 2014.
2) Flora of China “175. Sedum tetractinum Fröderström” FOC Vol. 8 Page 242 <http://www.efloras.org> Web. 23 Oct. 2014.
3) Jimmy Turner “Perennials for dry shade” <http://www.finegardening.com> Web. 23 Oct. 2014.
Leaves at Kula Ace Hardware and Nursery, Maui, Hawaii (USA). September 06, 2007. Photo by: Forest Starr & Kim StarrSend a photo of this plant.The gallery now contains thousands of pictures, however it is possible to do even more. We are, of course, seeking photos of species not yet shown in the gallery but not only that, we are also looking for better pictures than those already present.
Read More...
