Sedum albomarginatum
Encyclopedia
Sedum albomarginatum is a rare species of flowering plant in the stonecrop family
known by the common name Feather River stonecrop. It is endemic to California
where it is known from fewer than 20 occurrences along the Feather River
in Plumas
and Butte Counties
. It grows on steep cliffs and mountain slopes in rocky serpentine substrates
.
forming basal rosettes a few centimeters wide from a woody root system. The leaves are up to 6 mm long. with the widest part near the distal end, then narrowing to a rounded or slightly notched tip. Smaller leaves occur farther up the stem. The leaves are hairless, waxy, and blue-green in color, often with characteristic white edges where the wax
is thickest. The inflorescence
is a spreading array of many flowers with light yellow petals up to a centimeter long each.
Threats to this rare Sedum species include erosion
on the steep terrain where it grows, as well as mining
and construction.
Crassulaceae
Crassulaceae, or the orpine family, are a family of dicotyledons. They store water in their succulent leaves. They are found worldwide, but mostly occur in the Northern Hemisphere and southern Africa, typically in dry and/or cold areas where water may be scarce...
known by the common name Feather River stonecrop. It is endemic to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
where it is known from fewer than 20 occurrences along the Feather River
Feather River
The Feather River is the principal tributary of the Sacramento River, in the Sacramento Valley of Northern California. The river's main stem is about long. Its length to its most distant headwater tributary is about . Its drainage basin is about...
in Plumas
Plumas County, California
Plumas County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U.S. state of California. The county gets its name from the Spanish words for the Feather River , which flows through the county. As of the 2010 census, the population 20,007, down from 20,824 at the 2000 census...
and Butte Counties
Butte County, California
Butte County is a county located in the Central Valley of the US state of California, north of the state capital of Sacramento. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 220,000. The county seat is Oroville. Butte County is the "Land of Natural Wealth and Beauty."Butte County is watered by the...
. It grows on steep cliffs and mountain slopes in rocky serpentine substrates
Serpentine soil
A serpentine soil is derived from ultramafic rocks, in particular serpentinite, a rock formed by the hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle....
.
Description
Sedum albomarginatum is a small perennial succulent plantSucculent plant
Succulent plants, also known as succulents or fat plants, are water-retaining plants adapted to arid climates or soil conditions. Succulent plants store water in their leaves, stems, and also in roots...
forming basal rosettes a few centimeters wide from a woody root system. The leaves are up to 6 mm long. with the widest part near the distal end, then narrowing to a rounded or slightly notched tip. Smaller leaves occur farther up the stem. The leaves are hairless, waxy, and blue-green in color, often with characteristic white edges where the wax
Wax
thumb|right|[[Cetyl palmitate]], a typical wax ester.Wax refers to a class of chemical compounds that are plastic near ambient temperatures. Characteristically, they melt above 45 °C to give a low viscosity liquid. Waxes are insoluble in water but soluble in organic, nonpolar solvents...
is thickest. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a spreading array of many flowers with light yellow petals up to a centimeter long each.
Threats to this rare Sedum species include erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
on the steep terrain where it grows, as well as mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
and construction.