Sedum qingyuanense (Crassulaceae), a new species from Qingyuan, Guangdong, China

This study describes a new species of Sedum (Crassulaceae), Sedum qingyuanense sp. nov. discovered in Qingyuan City, Guangdong Province, China. Morphologically, S. qingyuanense resembles S. alfredii and S. emarginatum. The new species may have previously been misidentified as S. alfredii.

However, the new species can be readily distinguished from S. alfredii by its creeping sterile stems, opposite leaves, emarginate leaf apices, and smaller sepals. Compared to S. emarginatum, it is differentiated by its creeping sterile stems, smaller sepals, and conspicuous pseudopetioles. Phylogenetic analysis based on the nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region revealed that the new species forms a sister clade to S. emarginatum within Sedum sect.

Sedum, supported by moderate to strong bootstrap support (> 80 %). Integrating both morphological evidence and the phylogenetic tree, we establish it as an independent lineage.