''Sedum alfredii'' is a

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

herb in areas of Asia, The herb has top or tip branched stems that ascend from between 10 and 20 cm in length. Leaves of ''Sedum alfredii'' are deciduous and alternate proximally on the stem. Leaf blades are wedge-shaped with straight lines. Leaf blade shape may also be characterized as being oval (

obovate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular ...

) or broad with a tapered base. The overall shape of ''Sedum alfredii'' leaves measure approximately 1.2 – 3 cm × 0.2 – 0.6 cm. Leaf base is usually wedge shaped and is occasionally characterized by a short branch or shoot. Leaf endpoint of ''Sedum alfredii'' is rounded, with a blunted and sometimes notched leaf tip. The

flower head A pseudanthium (Greek for "false flower"; ) is an inflorescence that resembles a flower. The word is sometimes used for other structures that are neither a true flower nor a true inflorescence. Examples of pseudanthia include flower heads, compos ...

of ''Sedum alfredii'' measures between roughly 5 and 8 cm in diameter. Flowers of ''Sedum alfredii'' are small, measuring roughly 1 mm in diameter. Yellow petals are characteristically representative of ''Sedum alfredii'', appearing oblong in shape, and measuring roughly 4 –6 mm × 1.6 – 1.8 mm. Nectar scales of ''Sedum alfredii'' measure 1.2 mm, with rounded or even blunted scale ends, which should be visible. Seeds of ''Sedum alfredii'' are brown in color and measure 0.6 mm in diameter.

Description

* Mining ecotype ''S. alfredii'' ** As opposed to the non-mining ecotype ''S. alfredii'' * Family

Crassulaceae The Crassulaceae (from Latin ''crassus'', thick), 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 Cr ...

** Succulent nature ** Drought tolerant

Metal hyperaccumulation

Cadmium Cadmium is a chemical element with the symbol Cd and atomic number 48. This soft, silvery-white metal is chemically similar to the two other stable metals in group 12, zinc and mercury. Like zinc, it demonstrates oxidation state +2 in most of ...

(Cd) hyperaccumulation in leaves, stems, and roots of ''S. alfredii'', however the greatest Cd concentration is in leaf biomass. In the presence of Cd, ''S. alfredii'' uptake of Iron (Fe) also increases significantly.

Vacuole A vacuole () is a membrane-bound organelle which is present in plant and fungal cells and some protist, animal, and bacterial cells. Vacuoles are essentially enclosed compartments which are filled with water containing inorganic and organic ...

, nonchlorophyllous

mesophyll A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, ste ...

and other water storage cell types may be locations in ''S. alfredii'' which hyperaccumulate Cd. Levels of Zn also increase as a result of increased Cd presence. The cell wall plays a very important role in tolerance and Cd detoxification in the mining ecotype ''S. alfredii''.

Phytoremediation

Common mining pollutants are Cd and Zn. Content of Cd in leaves is significantly higher than stem or root content, demonstrating a more efficient transport of Cd from roots to shoots compared to other hyperaccumulators. Efficient transport is important to phytoremediate heavy metal contamination. At high concentrations of Cd, growth is inhibited, however,

photosynthetic Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that, through cellular respiration, can later be released to fuel the organism's activities. Some of this chemical energy is stored in ...

activity does not appear to be affected.

Chlorophyll Chlorophyll (also chlorophyl) is any of several related green pigments found in cyanobacteria and in the chloroplasts of algae and plants. Its name is derived from the Greek words , ("pale green") and , ("leaf"). Chlorophyll allow plants to ...

content has been shown to increase in response to increased Cd levels.

References

#Flora of China. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200009898 #Ni, T. H., Y. Z. Wei (2003). Subcellular distribution of cadmium in mining ecotype ''Sedum alfredii''. ''Acta Botanica Sinica, 25(8)'', 925-928. #Yang, X., T. Li, J. Yang, Z. He, L. Lu, F. Meng (2006). Zinc compartmentation in root, transport into xylem, and absorption into leaf cells in the hyperaccumulating species of ''Sedum alfredii'' Hance. ''Planta, 224'', 185-195. #Yang, X. E., X. X. Long, H. B. Ye, Z. L. He, D. V. Calvert, P. J. Stoffella (2004). Cadmium tolerance and hyperaccumulation in a new Zn-hyperaccumulating plant species (''Sedum alfredii'' Hance). ''Plant and Soil, 259'', 181-189. #Zhou, W., B. Qiu, (2005). Effects of cadmium hyperaccumulation on physiological characteristics of Sedum alfredii Hance (Crassulaceae). ''Plant Science, 169'', 737-745. {{Taxonbar, from=Q7445419 alfredii