Sedum eastwoodiae
Encyclopedia
Sedum eastwoodiae is a rare species of flowering plant in the stonecrop family
known by the common name Red Mountain stonecrop. It is endemic to Mendocino County
, California
, where it is known from only four occurrences on Red Mountain, near Ukiah
. The total number of plants in existence is estimated to be around 5300. They can be found on steep, exposed, rocky mountain slopes of serpentine substrate
. This species has also been treated as a subspecies of Sedum laxum
.
forming basal rosettes a few centimeters wide. The leaves are 1 to 3 centimeters 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 foliage is blue-green in color, blushing reddish. The inflorescence
is a spreading or flat-topped array of many small, star-shaped flowers with red or pink petals up to a centimeter long each, and stamen
s with red or purplish anthers.
for nickel
, chromium
, and cobalt
.
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 Red Mountain stonecrop. It is endemic to Mendocino County
Mendocino County, California
Mendocino County is a county located on the north coast of the U.S. state of California, north of the greater San Francisco Bay Area and west of the Central Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 87,841, up from 86,265 at the 2000 census...
, 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 only four occurrences on Red Mountain, near Ukiah
Ukiah, California
The average high temperature is 73.5 °F . Average low temperature is 46.1 °F . Temperatures reach 90 °F on an average of 65.6 days annually and 100 °F on an average of 14.4 days annually. Due to frequent low humidity, summer temperatures normally drop into the fifties at night. Freezing...
. The total number of plants in existence is estimated to be around 5300. They can be found on steep, exposed, rocky mountain slopes of serpentine substrate
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....
. This species has also been treated as a subspecies of Sedum laxum
Sedum laxum
Sedum laxum is a species of flowering plant in the stonecrop family known by the common name roseflower stonecrop. It is native to southwestern Oregon and northwestern California, where it can be found in rocky mountainous habitat. It is a succulent plant forming basal rosettes of oval or oblong...
.
Description
Sedum eastwoodiae 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. The leaves are 1 to 3 centimeters 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 foliage is blue-green in color, blushing reddish. 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 or flat-topped array of many small, star-shaped flowers with red or pink petals up to a centimeter long each, and stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s with red or purplish anthers.
Habitat
This species is known from a small section of habitat on a single mountain where the main potential threat to its existence is miningMining
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...
for nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
, chromium
Chromium
Chromium is a chemical element which has the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in Group 6. It is a steely-gray, lustrous, hard metal that takes a high polish and has a high melting point. It is also odorless, tasteless, and malleable...
, and cobalt
Cobalt
Cobalt is a chemical element with symbol Co and atomic number 27. It is found naturally only in chemically combined form. The free element, produced by reductive smelting, is a hard, lustrous, silver-gray metal....
.