Rhodiola rhodantha

(A. Gray) H. Jacobsen

Natl. Cact. Succ. J. 28: 5. 1973 ,.

Common names: Red orpine rose crown
Basionym: Sedum rhodanthum A. Gray Amer. J. Sci. Arts, ser. 2, 33: 405. 1862
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 8. Treatment on page 164.

Plants synoecious. Rootstock erect or decumbent, to 0.5–2 cm diam. Floral stems often persistent, 10–60 × 0.2–0.6 cm. Leaf blades green, not glaucous, linear-oblong to linear-oblanceolate, 1–4.5 × 0.2–0.7 cm, margins entire or few-toothed, apex mostly acute. Inflorescences spikelike or subcapitate, dense, to ca. 50-flowered, 1–3.5 cm diam. Pedicels mostly to 5 mm. Flowers bisexual, mostly 5–6-merous; sepals linear-lanceolate, 3–9 mm; petals nearly erect with tips outcurved, greenish or white to rose, linear-lanceolate to linear-oblanceolate, 6–13 mm, longer than stamens. Follicles 6–9 mm, beaks erect. Seeds short-tailed, oblong, 2 mm. 2n = 14.


Phenology: Flowering summer.
Habitat: Wet meadows, stream banks, rockfields, rock crevices
Elevation: 2000-4200 m

Distribution

V8 330-distribution-map.gif

Ariz., Colo., Mont., N.Mex., Utah, Wyo.

Discussion

Rhodiola rhodantha is placed in subg. Clementsia; the only other species in this subgenus is R. semenovii (Regel & Herder) Borissava, of Turkestan, with longer, narrower, entire leaves.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.