Sedum kiersteadiae B.L.Wilson & R.E.Brainerd

Zika, Peter F., Wilson, Barbara L., Brainerd, Richard E., Otting, Nick, Darington, Steven, Knaus, Brian J. & Nelson, Julie Kierstead, 2018, A review of Sedum section Gormania (Crassulaceae) in western North America, Phytotaxa 368 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

5. Sedum kiersteadiae B.L.Wilson & R.E.Brainerd in Wilson et al. (2014: 9). Figs. 2C , 11B , 24B , 29

Type: — UNITED STATES. California: Shasta County, NE of Slate Mountain , 1372 m, 15 June 2012, Lindstrand III & Van Susteren NSR-17 (holotype, OSC; isotypes, CAS, CHSC, DAV, HSC, MO, NY, RSA, UC, WTU) .

Sedum obtusatum Gray (1868: 342) subsp. boreale Clausen (1942: 32) . Sedum obtusatum A.Gray var. boreale (R.T.Clausen) Ohba (2007: 889) .

Type: — UNITED STATES. California: Siskiyou County, Mount Shasta , E side of Mud Creek Canyon, 1707 m, 26 July 1940, R . T . Clausen 4952, W . B . Cooke & H . Trapido (holotype, BH; isotypes, BH, DS, NY) .

Not Sedum boreale Günthart (1902: 49) .

The type specimen of Sedum obtusatum subsp. boreale (Clausen 4952 et al.) was interpreted different ways. It was collected from Mud Creek on Mount Shasta in the southern Cascade Range, a location somewhat disjunct from other Sedum populations. The taxon was originally described as having pale to deep yellow, somewhat spreading petals, and associated with specimens collected further west ( Clausen 1942). We interpreted at least one of the paratype specimens cited (J. T. Howell 13450 (CAS), from Siskiyou County, California, Salmon-Trinity Alps, Caribou Basin, 25 July 1937) as S. oregonense . Later, Clausen (1975) and Denton (1982) applied the name S. obtusatum subsp. boreale to plants of the northern Sierra Nevada that had relatively large mats of dense rosettes and wide, apically obtuse, white petals that were pink at the base and senesce pink throughout, plants that we considered to be S. paradisum subsp. subroseum . We interpreted Clausen 4952 et al. and other plants recently collected from the canyon of the type locality (Colberg MEC-1, Cooke 15459) as belonging to S. kiersteadiae .

Additional specimens examined:— UNITED STATES. CALIFORNIA. Shasta County : N of Sanford Pass, 1402 m, 15 June 2012, Lindstrand III & Van Susteren NSR-15 ( DAV, HSC, V); upper Slate Creek watershed, 1280 m, 15 June 2012, Lindstrand III NSR-18 ( CAS, JEPS, MO, NY, RSA) . Siskiyou County: Mount Eddy , 29 June 1913 ,

Smith 433 ( CAS); Mount Shasta, Mud Creek, 1740 m, 7 August 2011, Colberg MEC-1 ( MO, RSA) ; Mud Creek Canyon, 1981 m, 22 August 2013, Cooke 15459 ( OSC) ; road to Mount Eddy , 1270 m, 5 June 1978, Denton 4140 ( WTU) ; Mount Bradley , 1693 m, 12 July 2011, Lindstrand III & Van Susteren NSR-09 ( BH, F, GH, NY, US) ; Grey Rock Lake , 1775 m, 20 July 2011, Lindstrand III & Van Susteren NSR-11 ( CAS, CHSC, DAV, HSC, MO, NY, RSA, UBC, UC, WTU) ; Rattlesnake Hill , 1700 m, 20 July 2011, Lindstrand III & Van Susteren NSR-12 ( BH, GH) ; Mount Eddy Trail , 2135 m, 29 July 2011, Van Susteren JVS-1 ( CAS, JEPS) ; Little Castle Lake , 1815 m, 30 July 2011, Van Susteren JVS-2 ( DAV, HSC) ; road to Kangaroo Lake , 1495 m, 9 August 2011, Wilson, J. K. Nelson & Posey CWG-18 ( F, JEPS, RENO, US) ; W of Kangaroo Lake , 2015 m, 9 August 2011, Wilson, J. K. Nelson & Posey CWG-19 ( CAS, MO, NY) ; Shasta-Trinity National Forest , SSE of Crater Lake, 1760 m, 31 July 2011, Zika 25680 & Wilson ( F, RENO, UBC, US, WTU) ; NW of Deadfall Lakes , 2100 m, 31 July 2011, Zika & Wilson 25683 ( CAS, JEPS, OSC, US, WTU) ; South Fork Willow Creek , 1125 m, 21 June 2012, Zika 25901 & J. K. Nelson ( DAV, MO, NY, RSA) ; WNW of Gumboot Lake , 1960 m, 28 June 2013, Zika 26289 ( CHSC, HSC, UCR) ; ENE of Gazelle Mountain , 1630 m, 21 June 2012, Zika 25905 & J. K. Nelson ( CAS, WTU) . Siskiyou / Trinity county line: Mount Eddy, 2010 m, 7 August 2011, Colberg MEC-2 ( CHSC, STNF, WS) ; W of Toad Lake , 2120 m, 31 July 2011, J. K. Nelson JKN-1 ( GH, KANU) .

Trinity County: N of Trinity Center , 1525 m, 16 June 1977, Denton 4096 ( WTU) ; NW of Mount Eddy , 2255 m, 12 August 1967, Heckard 1665 ( JEPS) ; near Mount Eddy , 2040 m, 5 June 1978, Denton 4139 ( WTU) ; trail to Canyon Creek Lakes, 1430 m, 23 June 2011, Stubbs et al. RS-27 ( UC, WTU) ; Canyon Creek Wilderness, 4 July 2014, 1890 m, Otting 3822 ( HSC, MO, SOC) ; above Deadfall Lakes , 2300 m, 29 July 1977, Denton 4111 ( WTU) ; WSW of Deadfall Lakes , 1980 m, 31 July 2011, Zika 25687 & Wilson ( US, WTU) ; Little Boulder Lake Trail, 1890 m, 28 August 2011, Erwin SE-1 ( MO, NY, RSA) ; Shasta-Trinity National Forest , Parks Creek Summit, 2100 m, 28 June 2013, J. K. Nelson JKN-2013-1 ( WS) ; Trinity Mountains , Grouse Lake, 1860 m, 20 July 2012, Taylor 21285 ( RSA, WTU) ; NNW of Picayune Lake , 1850 m, 31 July 2012, Zika 25689 ( MO, NY, OSC, WTU) ; NNW of Grey Rocks Peak , 1640 m, 28 June 2013, Zika 26294 ( CAS, JEPS, RSA) .

Distribution and ecology: —Most populations were in the Klamath Ranges ecoregion along the border of Siskiyou County with Trinity and Shasta counties ( Fig. 25 ). The northeastern-most colony was on Mount Shasta, in the high Cascade Range ecoregion (Jepson eFlora 2017). Sedum kiersteadiae preferred rock outcrops and rocky open forests, at elevations of 1145–2300 m. It grew on serpentine and volcanic substrates.

Notes: — Sedum kiersteadiae ( Fig. 29 ) rosettes were relatively open, with most of the nodes well separated. The stem leaves were elliptic to obovate. The inflorescences were cylindrical. The sepals were half or less as long as the petals. The petals were yellow, often marked with red on the midrib or base, aging reddish, narrow, and acute, spreading about 90° from the flower axis at anthesis. The fresh anthers were usually rusty, dark orange, or red, senescing dark purple to black, less commonly yellow, senescing brown.

Sedum kiersteadiae was compared to the similar species S. citrinum and S. rubiginosum under S. citrinum ( Fig. 24 ).

Figures

FIGURE 2. In full sun, loose open rosettes, with easily visible internodes, were characteristic of sterile shoots for three species. A–B. Sedum citrinum, Del Norte Co., California (Zika 26185). C. Sedum kiersteadiae, diffuse habit with numerous stolons typical of this species and the next, Siskiyou Co., California (Zika 26289). D. Sedum oregonense, Clackamas Co., Oregon (Zika 25964).

FIGURE 11. Petal tips narrow in the distal half; the petals strongly spreading to slightly reflexed. A. Sedum citrinum, Del Norte Co., California (Zika 26620 & Brainerd). B. Sedum kiersteadiae, Trinity Co., California (Zika 26294). C. Sedum patens, Del Norte Co. (Zika 26609 & Brainerd). D. Sedum rubiginosum, Tehama Co., California (Zika 25522 & J.K. Nelson).

FIGURE 24. Inflorescence comparison between Sedum citrinum, S. kiersteadiae, and S. rubiginosum. All three species with narrow spreading yellow petals. A. Sedum citrinum, inflorescence with elongated lower branches, flat-topped, Del Norte Co., California (Zika 25930). B. Sedum kiersteadiae, cylindrical and loose inflorescence, individual flowers easily seen, Shasta Co., California (Zika 26294). C–D. Sedum rubiginosum, cylindrical and dense inflorescence, individual flowers less easily distinguished, Tehama Co., California (Zika 25522 & J.K. Nelson).

FIGURE 25. Distribution of Sedum flavidum, S. kiersteadiae, S. rubiginosum, and S. sanhedrinum, based on verified herbarium specimens.

FIGURE 29. Sedum kiersteadiae. A. Habit, long easily visible internodes on sterile shoots; Trinity Co., California (Zika 25680 & Wilson). B. Stem leaves, Siskiyou Co., California (Zika 25905 & J.K. Nelson). C. Rosette leaves, lower row; stem leaves, upper row; Siskiyou Co. (Zika 26289). D. Columnar inflorescence at anthesis. E. Nodding inflorescence before anthesis. F–G. Pale yellow flowers, anthers dull red, petals spreading to slightly reflexed, the upper half narrow. D–G. Trinity Co. (Zika 26294). H–I. Variant of corolla color, flowers with reddish buds, midveins, and petal bases, anthers dull red, Siskiyou Co. (Wilson, J.K. Nelson & Posey CWG-19).