Spearleaf stonecrop

Description

Rosettes of succulent leaves, flowering stems ascending. Basal leaves about 1/2 in. long, linear to lance-shaped, cylindrical with pointed tip. Flowering stems to 8 in. with many flat, lance-shaped, upward-pointing leaves, usually withered by flowering. Flower heads dense, 1/3�2 in. across, with 3�25 flowers. Flower petals 5, lance-shaped, with recurved pointed tips, yellow often with reddish central rib. Grows on basalt or sandstone outcrops and rocky soils at high elevations. Var.�nesioticum, with stem leaves overlapping and flowers in loose cluster, is uncommon, grows on seashore rock cliffs. The word�Sedum�comes from the Latin�sedo, "to sit," referring to the way many species grow.