The Crassulaceae, also known as the stonecrop family or the orpine family, are a diverse family of dicotyledon flowering plants characterized by succulent leaves and a unique form of photosynthesis, known as Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM). Flowers generally have five floral parts. Crassulaceae are usually herbaceous but there are some subshrubs, and relatively few treelike or aquatic plants. Crassulaceae are a medium-sized monophyletic family in the core eudicots, among the order Saxifragales, whose diversity has made infrafamilial classification very difficult. The family includes approximately 1,400 species and 34–35 genera, depending on the circumscription of the genus Sedum, and distributed over three subfamilies. Members of the Crassulaceae are found worldwide, but mostly in the Northern Hemisphere and southern Africa, typically in dry and/or cold areas where water may be scarce, although a few are aquatic.
Sedum is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Crassulaceae, members of which are commonly known as stonecrops. The genus has been described as containing up to 600 species, subsequently reduced to 400–500. They are leaf succulents found primarily in the Northern Hemisphere, but extending into the southern hemisphere in Africa and South America. The plants vary from annual and creeping herbs to shrubs. The plants have water-storing leaves. The flowers usually have five petals, seldom four or six. There are typically twice as many stamens as petals. Various species formerly classified as Sedum are now in the segregate genera Hylotelephium and Rhodiola.
Sedum acre, commonly known as the goldmoss stonecrop, mossy stonecrop, goldmoss sedum, biting stonecrop, and wallpepper, is a perennial flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae. It is native to Europe, northern and western Asia and North Africa, but is also naturalised in North America, Japan, and New Zealand.
Hylotelephium telephium, known as orpine, livelong, frog's-stomach, harping Johnny, life-everlasting, live-forever, midsummer-men, Orphan John, witch's moneybags, and garden stonecrop is a succulent perennial plant of the family Crassulaceae native to Eurasia. The flowers are held in dense heads and can be reddish or yellowish-white. A number of cultivars, often with purplish leaves, are grown in gardens as well as hybrids between this species and the related Hylotelephium spectabile (iceplant), especially the popular 'Herbstfreude'. Occasionally garden plants may escape and naturalise as has happened in parts of North America.
Rhodiola is a genus of perennial plants in the family Crassulaceae that resemble Sedum and other members of the family. Like sedums, Rhodiola species are often called stonecrops. Some authors merge Rhodiola into Sedum.
Hylotelephium spectabile is a species of flowering plant in the stonecrop family Crassulaceae, native to China and Korea. Its common names include showy stonecrop, iceplant, and butterfly stonecrop.
Hylotelephium is a genus of flowering plants in the stonecrop family Crassulaceae. It includes about 33 species distributed in Asia, Europe, and North America.
Sedum album, the white stonecrop, is a flowering plant of the genus Sedum in the family Crassulaceae. It is found in the northern temperate regions of the world, often growing in crevices or free-draining rocky soil. As a long-day plant it grows vegetatively for most of the year and flowers in summer.
Petrosedum ochroleucum, the European stonecrop, is a species of plant in the family Crassulaceae native to Europe and Turkey.
Sedum sexangulare, also known as tasteless stonecrop, is a species of succulent perennial and evergreen plant of the genus Sedum. It is similar to Sedum acre, but has shorter and denser leaves. It gained the binomial name ("six-angled") for its characteristic six spirals of leaves. S. sexangulare is about 15 cm (5 in) tall and is native to Europe and Asia, where it grows in the wild and is often cultivated as an ornamental plant. The plant needs wet or dry sandy soil and a sunny spot. It blooms in June and July with yellow, star-shaped flowers, which attract bees and other insects.
Sedella is a small genus of annual flowering plants in the family Crassulaceae. There are approximately 7 species, all native to California, United States, one with a distribution extending into Oregon. These are petite succulent plants growing a few centimeters tall and bearing tiny yellowish or brownish flowers. Mock stonecrop is a common name for these plants.
Petrosedum is a genus of the succulent family Crassulaceae.
Sedum albomarginatum is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae 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.
Sedum lanceolatum is a species of flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae known by the common names spearleaf stonecrop and lanceleaf stonecrop.
Sedum obtusatum is a species of flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae known by the common name Sierra stonecrop. It is native to the Sierra Nevada and adjacent high mountain ranges of California, its distribution extending north into Oregon and east into Nevada. It grows in rocky mountain habitat.
Sedum oregonense is a species of flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae known by the common name cream stonecrop. It is native to the Klamath Ranges of southern Oregon and northern California, where it grows in rocky habitat. It is a succulent plant forming basal rosettes of leaves up to about 4 centimeters long. Smaller leaves occur farther up the stem. The leaves are green in color and waxy in texture. The inflorescence is an erect, wide open array of many flowers. The flowers have yellow petals with red-tinged or white-speckled undersides.
Sedum spathulifolium is a species of flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae known by the common names broadleaf stonecrop, yellow stonecrop, and spoon-leaved stonecrop. An evergreen perennial, it is native to western North America from British Columbia to southern California, where it can be found often in shade in many types of rocky habitat in coastal and inland hills and mountains.
Sedum villosum, known as the hairy stonecrop or purple stonecrop, is a biennial to perennial flowering plant. Its leaves, which are 3–8 mm (0.1–0.3 in) long and may be reddish in colour, are generally covered with hairs, although S. villosum var. glabratum may have hairless leaves. Individual flowers have five pink petals, each up to 5 mm (0.2 in) long.
Sedum sarmentosum, known as stringy stonecrop, gold moss stonecrop, and graveyard moss, is a perennial flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae native to East Asia and Southeast Asia (Thailand). It has been introduced in at least eastern North America, and Europe.
Petrosedum sediforme, the pale stonecrop, is a perennial flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae. It has pointed, succulent, glaucous blue leaves and yellow, five-pointed flowers emerging on and inflorescence. The plant is native to mountainous and coastal regions of the Mediterranean Basin. It is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental rock garden plant.
