Sedum umbraculiforme (Crassulaceae): a new species from Fujian, China

A new species, Sedum umbraculiforme, was confirmed in Fujian Province of China, based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses. Phylogenetic analysis based on the ITS sequence showed that the new species belongs to S. sect. Sedum, and is adjacent to S. lipingense on the same clade with high support values (SH-aLRT=96.9, UFBS=99). S. bulbiferum, S. kawaraense and S. baileyi were also placed on the same clade with them, while it is distantly related to S. jinglanii and S. tianmushanense. S. umbraculiforme is morphologically similar to S. lipingense, but it can be distinguished by the inflorescence (dichasiums vs. cymes), a greater number of branch flowers (2–6 flowers vs. 1–2 flowers), longer sepals (4–5 mm vs. 2 mm), and the differently shaped nectar blades (oblong vs. broadly cuneate). According to the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, S. umbraculiforme qualifies as Vulnerable (VU) on the basis of Criterion D1, as the total number of individuals is fewer than 1,000.