English: Aizoon stonecrop.
Synonym: Sedum aizoon; Aizonopsis aizoon.
Region: Asia, eastern and western Siberia, Mongolia, Russian Far East. China, Japan, Korea
Habitat: dry grassy slopes and shrub thickets, dry meadows, rock streams, scrub, ravine edges in valleys, sandy, sunny, and grassy places on mountains, shady places on slopes, field banks, rock crevices elevations from 1000 to 3100 metres; moderately cold-hardy plant, tolerating temperatures to - 15°C; succeeds in most soils, poor soils, fertile well-drained soil; drought tolerant; requires sunny position.
Content: pyrrolizidine alkaloids; alkaloids including sedine and sedamine.
Content: flavonoids, tannins, and other phenolic compounds.
Ecology: immune to the predations of rabbits.
Use: Chinese medicine; leaves, edible, bitter, acrid or peppery; ornamental.
BotanyHerb; succulent; evergreen; perennial; polymorphic; 40 cm tall.
Root: carrot-shaped, tuberous rootstock
Stem: 1 to 3; erect; unbranched; 20 to 50 cm tall.
Flowers: yellow; 5 merous.
Pollination: by insects, butterflies.
Chromosome number: x=16.
TaxonomyIn 1978, Ohba divided up the very large and cosmopolitan genus Sedum, placing Sedum aizoon and allied species into Sedum subgenus Aizoon. Later he segregated these species into the separate genus Aizopsis. Other authors included these species in another segregate, Phedimus, subgenus Aizoon. Molecular phylogenetic analysis established Aizopsis as a sister group to Phedimus, which with distinguishing characteristics justified their retention as a separate genus. Recently Aizopsis is included in Phadimus.