Sedum simingshanense Y. L. Xu, 2025

Sedum simingshanense Y. L. Xu sp. nov.

Figs 1 View Figure 1 , 3 View Figure 3

Type.

China • Zhejiang province, Yuyao county, Siming Mountains, Siming Mountain geopark , in roadside slope at forest edge, 29°45'46"N, 121°02'02"E, elevation 653.2 m, 9 Jun 2023, Yue-Liang Xu, Xu 2869 (holotype: ZM barcode ZMNH 0067398 View Materials , Fig. 3 View Figure 3 ) GoogleMaps .

Description.

Biennial herbs, glabrous. Roots fibrous. No sterile stems when flowering. Fertile stems solitary, green, stout and succulent, smooth, branched from above the base into 3 branches, 10–20 cm tall, 5–8 mm in diam. Leaves alternate; leaf blade spatulate, flattened, 1.5–3 cm long, 0.6–0.8 cm wide, apex rounded, base gradually narrowed. Cymes many-flowered, first order branches 3 - forked; bracts leaf-like, spatulate to obovate, 0.8–4 cm long, 0.4–1 cm wide, apex rounded, base attenuate into a 0.1–0.15 cm wide pseudopetiole, with short basal spur; flowers usually 5 - parted, rarely 4 - parted, sepals usually 5, rarely 4, unequal, obovate, thick and fleshy, 4–7 mm long, 0.6–4 mm wide, apex rounded or obtuse, base free, without spur; petals usually 5, rarely 4, yellow, lanceolate, 5–6 mm long, 1.3–2 mm wide, apex acute, base connate for ca. 0.5 mm; stamens usually 10, rarely 8, in 2 whorls, filaments filiform, those opposite to petals with filaments 3–4 mm long, fused with the base of the petal for 1 mm, those opposite to sepals with filaments 4–5 mm long, completely free and not fused; anthers yellow; nectar scales usually 5, rarely 4, pale yellow, oblanceolate, ca. 0.5 mm long, ca. 0.25 mm wide; carpels usually 5, rarely 4, at anthesis upright, in unripe follicles spreading, ovate-lanceolate, 4.5–5 mm long, adaxially gibbous, basally connate for ca. 0.5 mm; styles ca. 0.8–1 mm; ovules 22–30 per carpel. Follicles obliquely diverging. Seeds light brown, oval-ellipsoid, 0.48–0.55 mm long, 0.28–0.30 mm in diam., densely minutely papillate.

Distribution and habitat.

The new species is only known from Siming Mountains of Yuyao county, Zhejiang and Lingnan Longshan and Lingnan Fengshuping of Shangyu county, Zhejiang (Fig. 4 View Figure 4 ). It grows on roadside slopes at the forest edge or on moss-covered stone walls at an elevation of about 100– 650 m.

Phenology.

Flowering from May to June, fruiting in June to July.

Etymology.

The specific epithet ‘ simingshanense ’ refers to the type locality of the new species.

Similar species.

The new species is similar to S. xunvense and S. formosanum . It is mainly distinguished from them in the morphology of its solitary, light green and smooth stems, flattened leaves, larger, obovate and basally spurless sepals, yellow anthers, 22–30 ovules per carpel, oblique follicles, and its habitat on shaded slopes or rocks. In the vegetative state, it resembles Sedum alfredii , but S. alfredii has partly sterile and clustered stems, and purple-red or slightly red and smooth fertile stems ( Fu and Ohba 2001). The distinguishing characteristics of the new species and the three morphological relatives are listed in detail in Table 1 View Table 1 .

Additional specimens examined

(Paratypes). Lingnan Longshan , Shangyu county, roadside slope at forest edge, alt. 472.9 m, 29°44'58"N, 121°00'39"E, 9 Jun 2023, Yue-Liang Xu, Xu 2867 ( ZM 0067385 ) GoogleMaps ; Lingnan Fengshuping , Shangyu county, on roadside rocks, alt. 100.4 m, 29°47'25"N, 121°00'49"E, 9 Jun 2023, Yue-Liang Xu, Xu 2868 ( ZM 0067399 ) GoogleMaps .