Flora-Fauna

Rosularia sempervivum subsp. libanotica (Labill.) Eggli

≡ Rosularia libanotica (Labill.) Sam.
≡ Sedum libanoticum Labill.
≡ Cotyledon libanotica Labill.
≡ Umbilicus libanoticus (Labill.) Boiss.
(First published under current combination in Bradleya 6(Suppl.): 93, 1988; treated in Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 2, p. 181–183; 1969)

• Life-form & habit: Perennial, 10–30 cm tall, forming dense basal rosettes. Plants green, either glabrous or, more commonly, pubescent and more or less glandular.

• Leaves: Basal leaves ovate-spatulate, obtuse, slightly attenuate at base, membranous, denticulate at margin. Cauline leaves variable in number, often reduced, linear-oblong.

• Inflorescence & flowers: Inflorescence a loose or dense panicle. Calyx 3–5 mm. Corolla 6–12 mm, tubular to campanulate, pink, divided slightly above the middle into oblong acute lobes.

• Phenology: Flowers May–July.

• Habitat & elevation: Rock crevices, mainly in montane and subalpine zones.

• Lebanese distribution: Very widespread, recorded from Jezzine, Sir, Qrayé, Ghazir, Ma‘asser, Jabal Barouk, ‘Aïn Zehalta, Jabal Kneissé, Jisr-el-Hajar, Hadeth Cedars, Jouit, Ehden, ‘Aïtou, Hasroun, Qozhaya, Neba‘ el-Laban, Sannine, Makmel, Cedars of Bsharré, and Hermon (road to Yanta).

• Syrian distribution: Anti-Lebanon (Jabal Gharbi, Jabal Sema‘ane) and Hermon.

• Native range: Lebanon–Syria, Palestine, Turkey (POWO).

• Diagnostic remarks: Highly variable in vestiture (glabrous vs. pubescent forms). Linnaeus’s Sedum libanoticum corresponds to the glabrous form (later treated as var. glaber Boiss.); the common pubescent form was recognized as var. pubescens Fröd. This variability, along with overlapping characters with allied species (R. parvifolia, R. kesrouanensis), has led some authors to favor a collective treatment under R. sempervivum.