Rhodiola recticaulis A. Boriss.

Typical Rhodiola recticaulis has flowering stems to 5 mm thick and globose inflorescences. One of the present authors (Ohba) believes that the Chinese plants described here need further invistigation, as they may prove to be a different species.

Perennial dioecious herb. Root thick woody. Rhizome thick, branched, 1.5-6 mm wide. Scaly radical leaves on the apical part of the rhizome. Flowering stems numerous, simple, erect, glabrous, 8-24 cm high, 1-3 mm wide at anthesis, old flowering stems persistent. Cauline leaves alternate, sessile, obtuse, coarsely dentate, elliptic to elliptic-oblong, 5-10 x 2-3 mm. Inflorescence terminal, dense, corymbiform, capitate. Flowers unisexual, 4-merous, pedicel 1-2 mm long. Calyx 1.5-2 x 0.4-0.6 mm, lobes basally connate, red, oblong-elliptic, obtuse. Petals yellow, glabrous, oblong-elliptic, obtuse, 3-4 x 0.8-1.2 mm. Stamens 8, longer than petals, in two whorls, basifixed, epipetalous 3.5-4 mm long, alternipetalous 4-4.5 mm long. Pistillodes 2.5-3 x 0.4-0.6 mm. Style indistinct; Carpels 3-4.5 x 0.8-1.9 mm, style 0.8-1 mm long in female flower. Nectar scales oblong, 0.8-1 x 0.2-0.3 mm. Follicles 6-7 x 1.5-2 mm. Seeds 1-2 x 0.2-0.4 mm, ellipsoid, apex pointed.

Main root thick, woody. Caudex branched, 3-6 cm in diam., woody, apically leafy; branches ca. 1.5 cm in diam. Caudex leaves brown, scalelike, triangular, ca. 1 × 1 mm, apex obtuse. Flowering stems numerous, erect, 8-15 cm × 1.5-2 mm, slightly sulcate; persistent old flowering stems present. Stem leaves alternate, erect or divergent, sessile, yellowish green, elliptic to elliptic-oblong, 8-10 × 2-3 mm, margin coarsely dentate, apex subacute. Inflorescences corymbiform-capitate, compact, 1.5-2 cm in diam., many flowered, bracteate. Flowers shortly pedicellate, unisexual, unequally 4-merous, small. Sepals red, elliptic, ca. 2 mm, apex obtuse. Petals yellow, oblong-elliptic, ca. 4 mm, apex obtuse. Stamens 8, longer than petals; filaments yellow; anthers globose. Nectar scales subquadrangular, apex entire. Carpels erect. Stigma capitate. Follicles apically shortly beaked. Seeds brown, oblong, ca. 2 mm. Fl. Jun-Aug, fr. Jul-Sep.

Distribution: Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir, Tajikistan, Kazakstan, China (Xinjiang).

Xinjiang (Tian Shan) [Kazakhstan; SW Asia (Iran)].

Fl.Per.: June-August.

Grows between 3000-4600 m on rocks, crevices and slopes.

Rock crevices on mountain slopes; 3800-4600 m.

Sedum recticaule (Borissova) Wendelbo.