Leiberg's Stonecrop
Sedum leibergii
Synonym: Amerosedum leibergii, Sedum borschii, Sedum divaricatum
-
The photo at left shows the developing floral stem or scape of
Leiberg's stonecrop. Although some of the leaves appear opposite, most are alternate,
so this is not Sedum debile. Photographed at the crest of the Columbia
Hills in the eastern Columbia River Gorge..........May 1, 2005. The photo at right shows the basal leaves and dry scapes of the previous bloom season of Leiberg's stonecrop as seen along the Klickitat Trail about a mile north of the Yakama Fisheries facility at the head of the waterfalls......January 10, 2023.
The
photo at right shows the basal leaf cluster of Leiberg's stonecrop. Note the long,
thinly spatulate leaves and the dried remains of the previous year's flower scape. Photographed on basalt outcrops about one mile east of Celilo, OR..........March
6, 2005.
Characteristics:
Leiberg's stonecrop is a biennial or perennial wildflower with
leafy, simple to sometimes branching stems from 5-12 cm high. The lower leaves
are narrowly spatulate (See photos.), measuring 6-12 mm long. They are widest
at the tips and taper gradually to the petioles. The upper leaves are alternate,
shorter in length, and are broadly lanceolate or oblong in shape and measure
up to 6 mm long.
The inflorescence is a spreading to recurved-branched cyme of
numerous flowers. The 5 sepals are narrowly triangular to ovate-lanceolate in
shape and up to 2 mm long. The yellow to greenish-yellow petals are narrowly
lanceolate in shape and 5-8 mm long. The stamens are slightly shorter than the
petals with the oblong-oval anthers up to 1.2 mm long.
Habitat:
Leiberg's stonecrop may be found on mossy, rocky
banks and gravelly slopes, especially in canyons.
Range:
Leiberg's stonecrop may be found from Yakima County
in Washington south to north-central Oregon and east to southeastern Washington
and western Idaho, including the Snake River canyon.
In the Columbia River Gorge, it may be found between
the elevations of 100'-3000' from Bingen, WA easward to at least Biggs, OR.
The photo above shows the basal and stem leaves
of Leiberg's stonecrop as seen on cliffs just east of the mouth of the Deschutes
River to the west of Biggs, OR........April 2, 2000.
-
Two close-up views of the basal leaves and previous year's flower stems of Leiberg's stonecrop as seen about one mile east of Celilo, OR.............February 14, 2009.
Paul Slichter