Sierra Sedum?

[Splintercat]

I spotted this sedum a few years ago on the west slopes below Lookout Mountain, and then began noticing it in several spots around Gunsight Butte and near Bennett Pass on some exploring I did over the past couple of weekends. When I looked it up, it seemed to be Sierra Sedum (Sedum obtusatum), but there is a similar plant called Creamy-flowered Sedum (Sedum oregnense) that has similar leaves, but a cream-colored flower (as the name suggests!), so that doesn't seem to be this plant. The odd part is that the guide I'm using (Wildflowers of the PNW) only shows the Sierra Sedum reaching into the Siskiyous and southern Oregon Cascades, so not even close to Mount Hood. Here's a photo:



Has anyone else positively ID'd these? Thanks!

Tom

[adamschneider]

There are two stonecrops (Sedum) with "oregon" (or some variation thereof) in the species name. What you have there is probably S. oreganum, not S. oregonense.

[bobcat]

I disagree (respectfully) with Adam on this one: this seems a dead ringer for creamy stonecrop (Sedum oregonense). Oreganum has a different leaf structure.

[adamschneider]

I disagree (respectfully) with Adam on this one: this seems a dead ringer for creamy stonecrop (Sedum oregonense). Oreganum has a different leaf structure.

I could be wrong. It's pretty hard to tell; they both have basal clusters and alternate stem leaves. And it turns out they BOTH grow on Mt. Hood. (I was thinking the creamy one was only south of Jefferson.)

[bobcat]

Creamy stonecrop is all over Lookout Mountain, Palisade Point, and the Gumjuwac meadows, which is where I was a couple of days ago.

Sedum oreganum was also dotted about, but not so abundant, and Sedum stenopetalum (worm-leaf stonecrop) was more common off the ridge.

[Splintercat]

Thanks, Adam and John. I'm still hung up on this photo of the Sierra stonecrop (and in this case, the USDA map shows it in Multnomah Co.), but looking at the leaves on the flower stems in Paul Slichter's photos (which match mine), I'll go with Creamy Flowered Stonecrop, too. John's sightings of it on Lookout Mountain help, too! Once I started noticing it on Lookout, I started seeing it all the way to Terrible Traverse on Bennett Pass Road. I noticed that it's listed as "uncommon", which is interesting.

Tom