Sedum qingyuanense X. W. Yi, Z. Y. Xie & Q. Fan, 2025

Yi, Xiao-Wei, Xie, Zhi-Yi, Shen, Xue-Gui, Xu, Wei, Zeng, Qiu-Gen, Tang, Ke, Huang, Yan-Shuang & Fan, Qiang, 2025, Sedum qingyuanense (Crassulaceae), a new species from Qingyuan, Guangdong, China, PhytoKeys 268, pp. 45-58 : 45-58

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.268.174287
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17943044
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/CAD17E2F-C962-523D-AF55-E9EA300D0A35
treatment provided by	PhytoKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Sedum qingyuanense X. W. Yi, Z. Y. Xie & Q. Fan
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Sedum qingyuanense X. W. Yi, Z. Y. Xie & Q. Fan sp. nov.

Figs 2 View Figure 2 , 3 View Figure 3 , 4 View Figure 4 , 5 View Figure 5

Chinese name.

清远景天 (Qīng yuăn JĬng tiān).

Type.

China • Guangdong Province, Qingyuan City, TaiHe Grotto ; on rocky cliff; 23.7553°N, 112.9807°E; 238 m a. s. l.; 18 April 2025; X. W. Yi & K. Tang QY- 1001 ( holotype: SYS 00237022 About SYS ) GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis.

The new species is distinguished from its congeners by the combination of creeping sterile stems, conspicuous pseudopetiolate, and small linear-spatulate sepals (1.8–3.2 × 0.5–1.5 mm). It differs from close species, S. jinglanii , S. alfredii and S. emarginatum in having creeping sterile stems (vs. ascending sterile stems), smaller sepals and more distinctly pseudopetiolate. In addition, we have also provided photographs of S. emarginatum and S. alfredii (Fig. 6 View Figure 6 ).

Description.

Perennial herb, entirely glabrous. Stems succulent; fertile stems suberect 5–20 cm long, apex erect, usually 3 - branched above; sterile stems present, creeping, rooting at nodes and producing new rosettes. Leaves opposite, conspicuously pseudopetiolate; leaf blades spatulate to broadly obovate, margin entire, apex emarginate, base attenuate with a spur, 1.1–5.9 × 0.5–1.4 cm. Cymes 3–8 cm in diameter, usually 3 - branched, multiflowered; bracts obovate with an obtuse apex. Flowers sessile, 7–10 mm long, pentamerous, actinomorphic. Sepals 5, linear-spatulate, 1.8–3.2 × 0.5–1.5 mm, base spurred. Petals 5, yellow, lanceolate to lanceolate-oblong, 4–6 × 1.1–1.7 mm, apex acuminate, base connate ca. 0.3 mm. Stamens 10 antepetalous stamens ca. 3 mm long, adnate to petals for ca. 0.3 mm; antesepalous stamens ca. 4.5 mm long. Carpels 5, lanceolate, erect, connate at base, 3–4 mm long. Follicles obliquely divergent, many-seeded; placentation marginal. Seeds ovoid, brown at maturity, 0.6–0.8 mm long.

Phenology.

Flowering from March – April; fruiting in May.

Etymology.

The specific epithet refers to the distribution of this species in Qingyuan City.

Distribution and habitat.

The new species is endemic to Qingyuan City, Guangdong Province, southern China, growing on rocky cliffs at 200–300 m a. s. l.

Conservation status.

The Extent of Occurrence ( EOO) and Area of Occupancy ( AOO) were calculated following the guidelines of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN 2024). All known occurrences of Sedum qingyuanense are currently restricted to a single locality — TaiHe Grotto, Qingxin District, Qingyuan City, Guangdong Province, China. The EOO was estimated using the minimum convex polygon method based on this single site, resulting in an EOO < 2 km 2. The AOO was assessed using a standard 2 km × 2 km grid system, and as all individuals fall within one grid cell, the AOO is inferred to be ≤ 4 km 2. Given that the entire population occurs in a heavily visited tourist area along roadsides and is subject to ongoing anthropogenic threats (e. g., trampling, habitat disturbance), and considering its extremely limited distribution, Sedum qingyuanense meets the criteria for Critically Endangered ( CR) under B 1 ab (iii) + 2 ab (iii).