''Sedum microcarpum'', commonly known as the small-fruited stonecrop, is a species of ''

Sedum ''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 succule ...

'' from the family

Crassulaceae The Crassulaceae (, from Latin ''crassus'', thick), also known as the crassulas, the stonecrops or the orpine family, are a diverse Family (biology), family of dicotyledon angiosperms primarily characterized by succulent leaves and a form of phot ...

. It is native to

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

, and

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

. The plant is a short, bushy annual with white flowers. The leaves are

succulent In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

, narrowly oblong, and usually tinted red.

Description

''Sedum microcarpum'' is a small annual herb (5–10 cm), bearing succulent, pale green to red-tinged cylindrical stems and leaves. The leaves are shaped like tiny sausages, and are arranged in a grid or in pairs along the stems. Unlike the other annual species of the genus, there are no rosette-shaped leaves at the base of the plant. The flowers are tiny (2 mm), each with four white petals, borne in the

axil A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, fl ...

between the stem and the leaves, meaning that the leaves and flowers do not decorate the surrounding stem. The non-dehiscent nutlike fruit is one-seeded, made up of three tiny follicles. ''Sedum microcarpum'' blossoms after the first winter rains, between January and April; sepals 0.5 mm, obtuse; 1–2 mm white petals. Its leaves are alternate, cylindrical or

terete Terete is a term in botany used to describe a cross section (geometry), cross section that is circular, or like a distorted circle, with a single surface wrapping around it.Lichen Vocabulary, Lichens of North America Information, Sylvia and S ...

. The plant grows on hard outcrops, often in shallow patches of soil on sunny rocky surfaces that quickly dry out in the spring. The life form is a Therophyte, in that they are often seen growing where there were once vernal pools, rock hollows and crevices which have been flooded by the winter rains and which dry out quickly in early spring.

Distribution

''Sedum microcarpum'' can be found all throughout the Mediterranean woodlands and

shrublands Spring Park is a small area in London, England. It is within the London Borough of Bromley and the London Borough of Croydon, straddling the traditional Kent-Surrey border along The Beck. Spring Park is located north of Addington, London, Adding ...

, as also in semi-steppe shrublands.

References

{{Authority control microcarpum Flora of Israel Flora of Palestine (region) Flora of Turkey Flora of Cyprus Flora of Lebanon Flora of Syria Plants described in 1890 Succulent plants