Phedimus

Rafinesque

Amer. Monthly Mag. & Crit. Rev. 1: 438. 1817,.

Etymology: Greek mythological name, possibly for Phaedimus, mythical son of Amphion and Niobe, slain by Apollo
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 8. Treatment on page 223. Mentioned on page 147, 148, 149, 150.

Herbs, perennial, not viviparous, 0.5–5 dm, (often woody at base), glabrous [pubescent]. Stems erect or creeping, simple or branched, fleshy. Leaves persistent, cauline, alternate or opposite, (± alike), sessile [petiolate], (narrowed to base), not connate basally; blade orbiculate, obovate, spatulate-elliptic, or elliptic-lanceolate, laminar, 1–8 cm, fleshy, base not spurred, margins crenate (sometimes glandular); veins not conspicuous. Inflorescences terminal cymes. Pedicels absent. Flowers erect, 5-merous; sepals connate basally, all alike or unequal; petals spreading, erect basally and spreading distally or recurved at tip, nearly distinct, yellow, white, or pink; calyx and corolla not circumscissile at base in fruit; nectaries adnate to pistils as basal scales; stamens 10; filaments of antipetalous stamens adnate to corolla; pistils erect, nearly distinct; ovary base truncate; styles shorter than ovary. Fruits stellately spreading. Seeds ellipsoid, finely lined.

Distribution

Introduced; Europe, Asia.

Discussion

Aizopsis Grulich; Asterosedum Grulich; Spathulata (Borissova) Á. Löve & D. Löve

Species 20 (3 in the flora).

S. Mayuzumi and H. Ohba (2004) concluded that Phedimus forms a lineage distinct from Sedum in a strongly supported clade based on chloroplast and nuclear DNA sequences. Phedimus is characterized by having flattened leaves with serrate or crenate margins; Sedum has semiterete or very thickened leaves with entire margins (Ohba et al. 2000).

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Leaves opposite; petals white to pink. Phedimus spurius
1 Leaves alternate; petals yellow > 2
2 Leaf blades elliptic-lanceolate, 4-8 cm. Phedimus aizoon
2 Leaf blades spatulate-elliptic to obovate, 1.5-3 cm. Phedimus hybridus