Sedum mocinianum Photo by: Diego Armentano
Origin and Habitat: Sedum mocinianumSN|35287]]SN|35287]] is endemic to the Sierra Los Agustinos set in
the Mexican High Plateau, Guanajuato, Nexico.
Altitude range: Around 2400 metres above sea level.
Habitat and ecology: This species is found on igneous rock walls.
Synonyms:
Description: Sedum mocinianumSN|35286]]SN|35287]] is one of the most attractive of all sedums. It is a perennial mat forming succulent herb, with pendent stems up to 80 cm long. Little white flowers with dark red anthers appear in winter, and in April in Mexico, always a welcome time. Sedum mocinianumSN|35286]]SN|35287]] is best distinguished by the dense covering of white hyaline hairs to 0.5 mm long, on all its parts except interior of flowers.
Note: Sedum mocinianumSN|35286]]SN|35287]] is closely related to Sedum hintoniiSN|35287]]SN|35286]], both hairy plants and both hailing from Mexico are often mislabelled in cultivation, but the inflorescences of S. hintonii is far longer than those of S. mocinianum, and the leaves of the inflorescence are elliptic to oblong. The true Sedum hintoniiSN|35287]]SN|35286]] is seldom found in cultivation, so most of the plants carrying the label "Sedum hintoniiSN|35287]]SN|35286]]" are actually S. mocineanum.
Stem: Up to 80 cm and pendent, to 5 mm in diameter, branched. Branches at first appearing as sessile rosettes, rarely all stems short and plants therefore cushion-like.
Rosette: Dense 1.5-5 cm in diameter.
Leaves. Basal leaves in rosettes or spirally along upper stem parts, elliptic to oblong-elliptic, 8-25 mm long, 6-11 mm wide, about 5 mm thick, obtuse.
Inflorescence: Short-compact, thyrses with up to 10 cincinnoid branches with 1-3 flowers; Peduncle 2-.5 cm long, and 4 mm in diameter. Bract arranged in a spiral like rosette leaves, elliptical to oblong-elliptical but slightly shorter. Pedicels absent to almost absent.
Flowers: Sessile or subsessile, 5-merous. Sepals oblong, basally fused for 1 mm forming a tube, lobes almost equal, 2.5-3 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide. Petals free, oblong-lanceolate, 5 mm long, 3 mm wide, white. Stamens 10, 5 opposite and fused to the petals, 2 mm long, 5 alternate 4 mm long. Nectaries narrowly oblong or ovate, about 0.4 mm long. Carpels 5 mm long, basally concave under the scales, pale green, styles 1.5 mm long, thread-like.
Fruit: A follicle with numerous seeds.
Bibliography: Major references and further lecture
1) Urs Eggli Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Crassulaceae Springer Science & Business Media, 06 December 2012
2) "Cactus World: The Journal of the British Cactus & Succulent Society", Volume 25, British Cactus & Succulent Society, 2007
3) Perez-Calix, Emmanuelm; “Sedum mocinianum (Crassulaceae) una especie nueva del centro de México”, Acta Botanica Mexicana 45: 49-54, 1998
4) JERÓNIMO REYES SANTIAGO, JULIA ETTER, MARTIN KRISTEN “SEDUM PIAXTLAENSE (CRASSULACEAE), A NEW SPECIES FROM DURANGO, MÉXICO” Haseltonia 20: 58–63. 2015
