The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

Leiberg stonecrop, Leiberg's stonecrop

opposite stonecrop, orpine stonecrop, weak-stem stonecrop

Habit Herbs, biennial, erect, glabrous. Herbs, perennial, tufted, glabrous.
Stems

rootstocks, horizontal, simple, bearing basal rosettes (axillary shoots with subterranean, white stems that detach easily and bear terminal rosettes of colorless leaves).

decumbent, branched, bearing erect rosettes.

Flowering shoots

erect, simple, (5–)11(–18) cm;

leaf blades ovate or elliptic, base not spurred;

offsets not formed.

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

leaf blades ovate-elliptic, base not spurred;

offsets not formed.

Leaves

alternate, spreading, outermost ones petiolate (petiole 4–5 mm);

blade green or greenish white, not glaucous, oblanceolate, obovate, or narrowly spatulate, laminar, 2–16 × 1.4–3.2 mm, base not spurred, not scarious, apex blunt, (surfaces papillose).

opposite and decussate (rarely alternate), ascending, sessile;

blade pale green, speckled with pink, sometimes pink or red, glaucous, usually elliptic, oblanceolate, or obovate, sometimes ovate-elliptic, subterete, ± globular, 4.2–7.2 × 2.8–4.3 mm, base not spurred, (clasping), not scarious, apex widely rounded or sometimes weakly emarginate, (surfaces minutely papillose).

Inflorescences

cymes, 5–60-flowered, 3–6-branched;

branches often strongly recurved, each 1 or 2 times dichotomously forked;

bracts similar to leaves, smaller.

cymes, 2–7-flowered, 2-branched;

branches not recurved, forked;

bracts similar to leaves, smaller.

Pedicels

to 0.3 mm.

to 1.2 mm.

Flowers

(5–)6(–7)-merous;

sepals erect, slightly connate basally, green, ovate, equal, 1.5–2 × 0.7–1.1 mm, apex acute;

petals spreading, distinct nearly to base, canary yellow, keel green or dark red, lanceolate to oblong, carinate, 4–6 mm, apex subobtuse to acute;

filaments yellow;

anthers yellow;

nectar scales deep yellow, subquadrate.

5-merous;

sepals erect, connate basally, pale green, glaucous, lanceolate, equal, 2–4.2 × 1.3–2 mm, apex obtuse, (papillose);

petals basally erect, distally spreading, connate basally, yellow, elliptic-lanceolate, slightly carinate, 6–9 mm, apex obtuse with mucronate appendage;

filaments yellow;

anthers yellow, (sometimes compressed and winged);

nectar scales yellow, orange-red, or salmon-pink, reniform to square.

Carpels

stellately spreading in fruit, connate basally, brown.

erect or ascending in fruit, connate basally, straw colored with purple stripes.

2n

= 16.

= 14–18.

Sedum leibergii

Sedum debile

Phenology Flowering spring–summer. Flowering summer.
Habitat Open or largely bare areas, basalt or limestone, rocky hillsides, cliffs Open, rocky places
Elevation 50-1200 m (200-3900 ft) 1500-3500 m (4900-11500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; MT; NM; NV; OR; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Variation in the number of floral parts of Sedum leibergii (5–7-merous) is unique in North American sedums. It has tiny rosettes of lax, long-spatulate basal leaves that mostly have shriveled by anthesis. Sedum borschii, which is often confused with S. leibergii, has primary rosettes, prominent at anthesis, that have obovate or elliptic leaves.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

The axillary, almost globular, rosettes of Sedum debile are the primary mode of propagation in this species (R. T. Clausen 1975).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 209. FNA vol. 8, p. 211.
Parent taxa Crassulaceae > Sedum Crassulaceae > Sedum
Sibling taxa
S. acre, S. albomarginatum, S. album, S. annuum, S. borschii, S. cockerellii, S. debile, S. divergens, S. glaucophyllum, S. havardii, S. hispanicum, S. lanceolatum, S. laxum, S. lineare, S. mexicanum, S. moranii, S. nanifolium, S. nevii, S. niveum, S. nuttallii, S. oblanceolatum, S. obtusatum, S. ochroleucum, S. oreganum, S. oregonense, S. praealtum, S. pulchellum, S. pusillum, S. radiatum, S. robertsianum, S. rupestre, S. rupicola, S. sarmentosum, S. sexangulare, S. spathulifolium, S. stelliforme, S. stenopetalum, S. ternatum, S. villosum, S. wrightii
S. acre, S. albomarginatum, S. album, S. annuum, S. borschii, S. cockerellii, S. divergens, S. glaucophyllum, S. havardii, S. hispanicum, S. lanceolatum, S. laxum, S. leibergii, S. lineare, S. mexicanum, S. moranii, S. nanifolium, S. nevii, S. niveum, S. nuttallii, S. oblanceolatum, S. obtusatum, S. ochroleucum, S. oreganum, S. oregonense, S. praealtum, S. pulchellum, S. pusillum, S. radiatum, S. robertsianum, S. rupestre, S. rupicola, S. sarmentosum, S. sexangulare, S. spathulifolium, S. stelliforme, S. stenopetalum, S. ternatum, S. villosum, S. wrightii
Synonyms S. divaricatum, Amerosedum leibergii Gormania debilis
Name authority Britton: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 22: 73. (1905) S. Watson: Botany (Fortieth Parallel), 102. (1871)
Web links