Sedum was first formally described by
Carl Linnaeus in 1753, with 15 species. Of the
genera encompassed by the
Crassulaceae family,
Sedum is the most species rich, the most
morphologically diverse and most complex
taxonomically. Historically, it was placed in the subfamily Sedoideae, of which it was the
type genus. Of the three modern subfamilies of the Crassulaceae, based on
molecular phylogenetics,
Sedum is placed in the subfamily
Sempervivoideae. Although the genus has been greatly reduced, from about 600 to 420–470 species, by forming up to 32
segregate genera, it still constitutes a third of the family and is
polyphyletic.
Sedum species are found in four of six major
crown clades within subfamily Sempervivoideae of Crassulaceae and are allocated to
tribes, as follows: In addition, at least nine other distinct genera appear to be nested within
Sedum. However, the number of species found outside of the first two clades (Tribe Sedeae) are only a small fraction of the whole genus. Therefore the current
circumscription, which is somewhat artificial and
catch-all must be considered unstable. The relationships between the tribes of Sempervivoideae is shown in the
cladogram. }} }} }} }} }} There are now thought to be approximately 55 European species in the genus.
Sedum demonstrates a wide variation in
chromosome numbers, and
polyploidy is common. Chromosome number is considered an important taxonomic feature. Earlier authors placed a number of
Sedum species outside of these clades, such as
S. spurium,
S. stellatum and
S. kamtschaticum (Telephium clade), that has been
segregated into
Phedimus (tribe Umbiliceae). Given the substantial taxonomic challenges presented by this highly polyphyletic genus, a number of radical solutions have been proposed for what is described as the "Sedum problem", all of which would require a substantial number of new combinations within Sempervivoideae. Nikulin and colleagues (2016) have recommended that, given the
monophyly of Aeonieae and Semperviveae, species of
Sedum outside of the tribe Sedeae (all in subgenus
Gormania) be removed from the genus and reallocated. However, this does not resolve the problem of other genera embedded within
Sedum, in Sedeae. In the largest published phylogenetic study (2020), the authors propose placing all taxa within Sedeae in genus
Sedum, and transferring all other Sedum species in the remaining Sempervivoideae clades to other genera. This expanded
Sedum s.l. would comprise about 755 species.
Subdivision Linnaeus originally described 15 species, characterised by pentamerous flowers, dividing them into two groups; Planifolia and Teretifolia, based on leaf morphology, with 15
species, and hence bears his name as the
botanical authority (L.). By 1828, de Candolle recognized 88 species in six informal groups. Various attempts have been made to subdivide this large genus, in addition to
segregating separate genera, including creation of informal groups, sections, series and subgenera. For an extensive history of subfamily Sedoideae, see .
Gray (1821) divided the 13 species known in Britain at that time into five sections;
Rhodiola,
Telephium,
Sedum, (unnamed) and
Aizoon. In 1921,
Praeger established ten sections;
Rhodiola,
Pseudorhodiola,
Giraldiina,
Telephium,
Aizoon,
Mexicana,
Seda Genuina,
Sempervivoides,
Epeteium and
Telmissa. This was later revised in what is the best known system, that of
Berger (1930), who defined 22 subdivisions, which he called
Reihe (sections or series). Berger's sections were: •
Rhodiola •
Pseudorhodiola •
Telephium •
Sedastrum •
Hasseanthus •
Lenophyllopsis •
Populisedum •
Graptopetalum •
Monanthella •
Perrierosedum •
Pachysedum •
Dendrosedum •
Fruticisedum •
Leptosedum •
Afrosedum •
Aizoon •
Seda genuina •
Prometheum •
Cyprosedum •
Epeteium •
Sedella •
Telmissa A number of these, he further subdivided. In contrast, Fröderströmm (1935) adopted a much broader circumscription of the genus, accepting only
Sedum and
Pseudosedum within the Sedoideae, dividing the former into 9 sections. Although this was followed by numerous other systems, the most widely accepted infrageneric classification following Berger, was by Ohba (1978). Prior to this, most species in Sedoideae were placed in genus
Sedum. Of these systems, it was observed "No really satisfactory basis for the division of the family into genera has yet been proposed". Some other authors have added other series, and combined some of the series into groups, such as sections. In particular,
Sedum section
Sedum is divided into series (see
Clades) More recently, two subgenera have been recognised,
Gormania and
Sedum. •
Gormania: (Britton) Clausen. 110 species from Sempervivum, Aeonium and Leucosedum clades. Europe and North America. •
Sedum: 320 species from Acre clade. Temperate and subtropical zones of Northern hemisphere (Asia and the Americas). Subgenus
Sedum has been considered as three geographically distinct, but equal sized sections: •
S. sect.
Sedum ca. 120 spp. native to Europe, Asia Minor and N. Africa, ranging from N. Africa to central Scandinavia and from Iceland to the Ural Mountains, the Caucasus and Iran. •
S. sect.
Americana Frod. •
S. sect.
Asiatica Frod.
S. sect.
Sedum includes 54 species native to Europe, which Berger classified into 27 series.
Clades Species and series include
Subgenus Gormania Semperviveae •
S. series
Rupestria (Eurasia) •
S. rupestre L. •
S. armenum Boiss. &
A.Huet •
S. assyriacum Boiss. (Near East) •
S. mooneyi M.Gilbert (NE Africa) •
S. sediforme (
Jacq.)
Pau Of about 80 Eurasian species, series
Rupestria forms a distinct monophyletic group of about ten
taxa, which some authors have considered a separate genus,
Petrosedum. It was series 20 in Berger's classification. Native to Europe it has escaped cultivation and become naturalized in North America.
Aeonieae (N Africa) •
S. series
Pubescens •
S. pubescens Vahl •
S. series
Caerulea •
S. caeruleum •
S. jaccardianum Maire &
Wilczek •
S. series
Monanthoidea •
Monanthes atlantica J.Ball (=
S. surculosum Coss.) •
S. modestum Boiss. Embedded within series
Monanthoidea are three Macaronesian segregate genera,
Aichryson,
Monanthes and
Aeonium.
Sedeae – Leucosedum (Europe/Mediterranean/Near East/Central Asia) •
S. series
Aithales (Med) •
S. pallidum M.Bieb. •
S. series
Alba (Med) •
S. album L. •
S. gracile C.A.Mey. •
S. magellense Ten. •
S. series
Alsinefolia All. (Med) •
S. series
Atrata (Med) •
S. series
Brevifolia (Med) •
S. series
Cepaea (Med) •
S. commixtum Moran & Hutchison •
S. series
Convertifolia (Med) •
S. series
Dasyphylla (Med) •
S. dasyphyllum L. •
S. series
Glauco-rubens (Med) •
S. hispanicum L. •
S. series
Gracile (Med) •
S. series
Hirsuta (Med) •
S. hirsutum All. Europe/Mediterranean/Near East/Central Asia •
Sedum series
Inconspicua (Med) •
S. ince 't Hart & Alpinar •
S. lydium Boiss. •
S. microcarpum (
Sm.)
Schönland •
S. series
Monregalense (Med) •
S. moranii R.T.Clausen •
S. series
Nana (Med) •
S. series
Pedicellata (Med) •
S. sedoides (
Jacquem. ex
Decne.)
Pau •
S. series
Steico (Med) •
S. series
Subrosea (Med) •
S. series
Subulata (Med) •
S. series
Telmissa (Med) •
S. series
Tenella (Med) • Med = Mediterranean distribution Embedded within the Leucosedum clade are the following genera:
Rosularia,
Prometheum,
Sedella and
Dudleya.
Rosularia is paraphyletic, and some
Sedum species, such as
S. sempervivoides Fischer ex M. Bieberstein are assigned by some authors to
Rosularia, as
R. sempervivoides (Fischer ex M. Bieberstein) Boriss.
Subgenus Sedum Sedeae – Acre (Asia/Europe/Macaronesia/N. America) •
S. series
Alpestria Berger •
S. alpestre Vill. (Europe) •
S. series
Acria •
S. acre L. (Europe) •
S. bourgaei Hemsl. (Mexico) •
S. bulbiferum Makino (Asia) •
S. burito Moran (Mexico) •
S. cockerellii Britton (N. America) •
S. dendroideum Moc. &
Sessé ex
DC. (Mexico) •
S. farinosum Lowe (Macaronesia) •
S. furfuraceum Moran (N. America) •
S. fusiforme Lowe (Macaronesia) •
S. hakonense Makino (Asia) •
S. hemsleanum Rose (N. America) •
S. japonicum Siebold ex
Miq. (Asia) •
S. laconicum Boiss. &
Heldr. (Mediterranean) •
S. lineare Thunb. (
syn. S. subtile) (Asia) •
S. litoreum Guss. (Europe) •
S. series
Macaronesica (Macaronesia) •
S. makinoi Maxim. (Asia) •
S. meyeri-johannis Engl. (Africa) •
S. mexicanum Britton (Asia) •
S. morrisonense Hayata (Asia) •
S. multicaule Wall. ex
Lindl. (Asia) •
S. multiceps Coss. &
Durieu (Europe, N Africa, S America) •
S. nudum Aiton (Macaronesia) •
S. oaxacanum Rose (N. America) •
S. obcordatum R.T. Clausen (N. America) •
S. oreades (
Decne.) Raym.-Hamet (Asia) •
S. oryzifolium Makino (Asia) •
S. section
Pachysedum (N. America) •
S. plumbizincicola X.H.Guo & S.B.Zhou ex L.H.Wu (China) •
S. polytrichoides Hemsl. (Asia) •
S. reptans R.T.Clausen (Mexico) •
S. rubrotinctum R.T. Clausen (Americas, Australasia) •
S. sarmentosum Bunge (Asia) •
S. sexangulare L. (Europe) •
S. ternatum Michx. (N. America) •
S. tosaense Makino (Asia) •
S. triactina A.Berger (Asia) •
S. trullipetalum Hook.f. &
Thomson (Asia) •
S. urvillei DC. (Mediterranean) •
S. yabeanum Makino (Asia) •
S. zentaro-tashiroi Makino (Asia) Embedded within the Acre clade are the following genera:
Villadia,
Lenophyllum,
Graptopetalum,
Thompsonella,
Echeveria and
Pachyphytum. The species within Acre, can be broadly grouped into two subclades, American/European and Asian.
List of selected species •
Sedum acre L. – wall-pepper, goldmoss sedum, goldmoss stonecrop, biting stonecrop •
Sedum albomarginatum Clausen – Feather River stonecrop •
Sedum album L. – white stonecrop •
Sedum alfredii •
Sedum anglicum – English stonecrop •
Sedum brevifolium •
Sedum caeruleum •
Sedum clavatum •
Sedum cyprium •
Sedum dasyphyllum L. – thick-leaved stonecrop •
Sedum debile S.Watson – orpine stonecrop, weakstem stonecrop •
Sedum dendroideum Moc. & Sessé ex A.DC. – tree stonecrop •
Sedum divergens S.Watson – spreading stonecrop •
Sedum eastwoodiae (Britt.) Berger – Red Mountain stonecrop •
Sedum erythrostictum syn.
Hylotelephium erythrostictum •
Sedum glaucophyllum Clausen – cliff stonecrop •
Sedum hispanicum L. – Spanish stonecrop •
Sedum lampusae (Kotschy) Boiss. •
Sedum lanceolatum Torr. – lance-leaf stonecrop, lanceleaf stonecrop, spearleaf stonecrop •
Sedum laxum (Britt.) Berger – roseflower stonecrop •
Sedum lineare – needle stonecrop •
Sedum mexicanum Britt. – Mexican stonecrop •
Sedum microstachyum (Kotschy) Boiss. – small-spiked stonecrop •
Sedum moranii Clausen – Rogue River stonecrop •
Sedum morganianum – donkey tail, burro tail •
Sedum multiceps – pygmy Joshua tree, dwarf Joshua tree •
Sedum niveum A.Davids. – Davidson's stonecrop •
Sedum nussbaumerianum Bitter, syn.
Sedum adolphi – golden sedum •
Sedum oaxacanum Rose •
Sedum oblanceolatum Clausen – oblongleaf stonecrop •
Sedum obtusatum Gray – sierra stonecrop •
Sedum obtusatum ssp.
paradisum Denton – paradise stonecrop •
Sedum ochroleucum Chaix – European stonecrop •
Sedum oreganum Nutt. – Oregon stonecrop •
Sedum oregonense (S.Watson) M.E.Peck – cream stonecrop •
Sedum palmeri S.Watson – Palmer's stonecrop •
Sedum perezdelarosae Jimeno-Sevilla •
Sedum porphyreum Kotschy – purple stonecrop •
Sedum pulchellum Michx. – widow's-cross •
Sedum radiatum S.Watson – Coast Range stonecrop •
Sedum rubrotinctum – pork and beans, Christmas cheer, jellybeans •
Sedum rupestre L. – reflexed stonecrop, blue stonecrop, Jenny's stonecrop, prick-madam •
Sedum sarmentosum Bunge – stringy stonecrop •
Sedum sediforme (Jacq.) Pau pale stonecrop •
Sedum sexangulare – tasteless stonecrop •
Sedum sieboldii – Siebold's stonecrop •
Sedum smallii, syn.
Diamorpha smallii – Small's stonecrop •
Sedum spathulifolium Hook.f. – Broadleaf stonecrop, Colorado stonecrop •
Sedum spurium – Caucasian stonecrop, dragon's blood sedum, two-row stonecrop •
Sedum stenopetalum Pursh – wormleaf stonecrop, yellow stonecrop •
Sedum telephium L. •
Sedum ternatum Michx. – woodland stonecrop •
Sedum villosum – hairy stonecrop, purple stonecrop •
Sedum weinbergii ==Distribution and habitat==