Burke: Sedum spathulifolium vs. Sedum acre

	Sedum spathulifolium	Sedum acre
	broadleaf stonecrop, spatula-leaf stonecrop	mossy stonecrop
Habit	Glabrous, glaucous perennial from numerous, stout rhizomes, with numerous sterile shoots and tight, basal rosettes, the flowering stems stout, erect to ascending, 8-20 cm. tall.	Glabrous, mat-forming perennial from rhizomes, the flowering stems up to 1 dm. tall.
Leaves	Leaves alternate, spatulate-oblanceolate to spatulate-obovate, tapered to the base, strongly flattened but very succulent, 10-20 mm. long and 4-10 mm. broad, strongly overlapping.	Leaves alternate, fleshy, evergreen, ovoid, 3-5 mm. long, sessile.
Flowers	Inflorescence of leafy-bracteate, paniculate cymes; pedicles very short; calyx lobes 5, oblong-lanceolate, 2.5-3.5 mm. long, rounded or obtuse; petals 5, distinct, somewhat recurved, 7-10 mm. long, narrowly oblong-lanceolate, acute; stamens 10, slightly shorter than the petals, 5 attached to the base of the petals.	Inflorescence of branching cymes; sepals 5, lanceolate, 2-3.5 mm. long, obtuse; petals 5, bright yellow, distinct, lanceolate, spreading, about 5 mm. long; stamens 10, 5 attached to the base of the petals.
Fruits	Follicles 5, erect until nearly mature, then divergent above the united basal portion.	Follicles 5, spreading, each with a small gland at the base, and tipped by the tapered style.

	Sedum spathulifolium	Sedum acre
Flowering time	April-June	June-August
Habitat	Coastal cliffs, ledges, balds, and gravelly soil in the foothills.	Disturbed ground at low elevation.
Distribution	Occurring west of the Cascades crest and east in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; southern British Columbia to California. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades in Washington; British Columbia south to Oregon, east across Canada, and the central, southeastern, and northeastern U.S. to the Atlantic Coast. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Origin	Native	Introduced from Europe
Conservation status	Not of concern	Not of concern
Sibling taxa	S. acre, S. album, S. brevifolium, S. divergens, S. forsterianum, S. lanceolatum, S. leibergii, S. oreganum, S. rupicola, S. stenopetalum, S. thartii	S. album, S. brevifolium, S. divergens, S. forsterianum, S. lanceolatum, S. leibergii, S. oreganum, S. rupicola, S. spathulifolium, S. stenopetalum, S. thartii
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: BC, OR, WA 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 spathulifolium

Sedum acre

broadleaf stonecrop, spatula-leaf stonecrop

mossy stonecrop

Habit

Glabrous, glaucous perennial from numerous, stout rhizomes, with numerous sterile shoots and tight, basal rosettes, the flowering stems stout, erect to ascending, 8-20 cm. tall.

Glabrous, mat-forming perennial from rhizomes, the flowering stems up to 1 dm. tall.

Leaves

Leaves alternate, spatulate-oblanceolate to spatulate-obovate, tapered to the base, strongly flattened but very succulent, 10-20 mm. long and 4-10 mm. broad, strongly overlapping.

Leaves alternate, fleshy, evergreen, ovoid, 3-5 mm. long, sessile.

Flowers

Inflorescence of leafy-bracteate, paniculate cymes; pedicles very short;

calyx lobes 5, oblong-lanceolate, 2.5-3.5 mm. long, rounded or obtuse;

petals 5, distinct, somewhat recurved, 7-10 mm. long, narrowly oblong-lanceolate, acute;

stamens 10, slightly shorter than the petals, 5 attached to the base of the petals.

Inflorescence of branching cymes;

sepals 5, lanceolate, 2-3.5 mm. long, obtuse;

petals 5, bright yellow, distinct, lanceolate, spreading, about 5 mm. long;

stamens 10, 5 attached to the base of the petals.

Fruits

Follicles 5, erect until nearly mature, then divergent above the united basal portion.

Follicles 5, spreading, each with a small gland at the base, and tipped by the tapered style.

Sedum spathulifolium

Sedum acre

Flowering time

April-June

June-August

Habitat

Coastal cliffs, ledges, balds, and gravelly soil in the foothills.

Disturbed ground at low elevation.

Distribution

Occurring west of the Cascades crest and east in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; southern British Columbia to California.

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades in Washington; British Columbia south to Oregon, east across Canada, and the central, southeastern, and northeastern U.S. to the Atlantic Coast.

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Origin

Native

Introduced from Europe

Conservation status

Not of concern

Sibling taxa