OregonFlora: Sedum lanceolatum vs. Sedum debile

	Sedum lanceolatum	Sedum debile
	spearleaf stonecrop	weakstem stonecrop
Habit		Plants perennial, tufted, glabrous.
Stems		decumbent, branched, with erect rosettes.
Flowering shoots		erect, decumbent or ascending; simple, 3–12 cm; stem leaves opposite or whorled; ovate-elliptic, dried stems ~1 mm thick.
Leaves		opposite or rarely alternate, ascending, usually elliptic, oblanceolate or obovate, subterete, 4.2–7.2 × 2.8–4.3 mm, pale green, speckled with pink, sometimes reddish, bases not spurred; tips widely rounded; surfaces slightly glaucous; dull, minutely papillose.
Inflorescences		cymes with 2–7 flowers, 2-branched; bracts similar to leaves but smaller.
Flowers		5-parted; sepals erect, 2–4.2 × 1.3–2 mm; tips obtuse; surface glaucous; petals erect at bases but then widely spreading, elliptic-lanceolate, 6–9 mm, yellow; tips obtuse with apiculus; filaments yellow; anthers yellow.
Fruits		erect, connate basally; straw-colored with purple stripes.
2n		=16.

	Sedum lanceolatum	Sedum debile
Distribution	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Discussion		Rock outcrops. Flowering Jun–Aug. 1500–2800 m. BR. ID, NV; northeast to MT, southeast to NM. Native. In our area, the only similar Sedum growing with S. debile is S. lanceolatum. The two have similar flowers, but S. lanceolatum seems to bloom earlier. Sedum debile has paler, glaucous leaves with rounded tips, while S. lanceolatum has reddish leaves with pointed tips. The dense, rounded rosettes of S. debile break off and roll about in wind; they seem to be an important form of reproduction in this species.
Source		Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 601 Barbara Wilson, Richard Brainerd, Nick Otting
Sibling taxa	S. acre, S. album, S. debile, S. divergens, S. laxum, S. leibergii, S. moranii, S. oblanceolatum, S. oreganum, S. oregonense, S. radiatum, S. spathulifolium, S. stenopetalum, S. thartii	S. acre, S. album, S. divergens, S. lanceolatum, S. laxum, S. leibergii, S. moranii, S. oblanceolatum, S. oreganum, S. oregonense, S. radiatum, S. spathulifolium, S. stenopetalum, S. thartii
Subordinate taxa	S. lanceolatum var. lanceolatum
Synonyms	Sedum lanceolatum var. rupicola, Sedum rupicola	Gormania debilis
Web links	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: OR Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Sedum debile

spearleaf stonecrop

weakstem stonecrop

Habit

Plants perennial, tufted, glabrous.

Stems

decumbent, branched, with erect rosettes.

Flowering shoots

erect, decumbent or ascending; simple, 3–12 cm;

stem leaves opposite or whorled; ovate-elliptic, dried stems ~1 mm thick.

Leaves

opposite or rarely alternate, ascending, usually elliptic, oblanceolate or obovate, subterete, 4.2–7.2 × 2.8–4.3 mm, pale green, speckled with pink, sometimes reddish, bases not spurred;

tips widely rounded;

surfaces slightly glaucous; dull, minutely papillose.

Inflorescences

cymes with 2–7 flowers, 2-branched;

bracts similar to leaves but smaller.

Flowers

5-parted;

sepals erect, 2–4.2 × 1.3–2 mm;

tips obtuse;

surface glaucous;

petals erect at bases but then widely spreading, elliptic-lanceolate, 6–9 mm, yellow;

tips obtuse with apiculus;

filaments yellow;

anthers yellow.

Fruits

erect, connate basally; straw-colored with purple stripes.

=16.

Sedum debile

Distribution

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Rock outcrops. Flowering Jun–Aug. 1500–2800 m. BR. ID, NV; northeast to MT, southeast to NM. Native.

In our area, the only similar Sedum growing with S. debile is S. lanceolatum. The two have similar flowers, but S. lanceolatum seems to bloom earlier. Sedum debile has paler, glaucous leaves with rounded tips, while S. lanceolatum has reddish leaves with pointed tips. The dense, rounded rosettes of S. debile break off and roll about in wind; they seem to be an important form of reproduction in this species.