A new species of Sedum (Crassulaceae) from eastern China based on morphological and molecular evidence

Abstract

Sedum orientalichinense, a new species of Crassulaceae from eastern China, is described and illustrated here. Phylogenetic analysis based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of nrDNA suggests that the new species belongs to S. sect. Sedum sensu Fu and Ohba (2001) in the “Flora of China”, and is sister to S. makinoi with high support values (BS = 100, PP = 1). The new species was previously always misidentified as S. makinoi, S. emarginatum or S. baileyi, due to its opposite leaves. Sedum emarginatum can be easily distinguished by its leaf blades with the apex emarginate in which it differs from the other three species. Sedum orientalichinense usually has 2-branched cymes, unlike S. makinoi which is 2- to 4-branched. The new species further differs from S. makinoi in its obovate to obovate-rhombic leaf blades (vs. obovate to obovate-spatulate in the latter) and has shorter stems (6–18 cm vs. 11–28 cm) with less internodes. It can also be easily distinguished from S. baileyi by its slender to sub-woody suberect stems (vs. slender and erect stems) and larger plant height (6–18 cm vs. 3–7 cm).