Authors: L.  

Botanical Description

Loosely mat-forming, to 40 by 10cm, sometimes more or less. Leaves very variable, but usually terete, or somewhat flattened on the upper surface, very fleshy, mostly 8 by 1.5mm but sometimes less or much longer, usually glabrous, green or suffused with red. Flowers white, five-petalled, about 9mm wide, many in cymose clusters, summer. Europe, North Africa and western Asia mostly in mountainous regions. S.a var. athoum, is a slower growing variety with wider, flatter leaves tinged heavily with red. Mediterranean Europe, especially the Balkans. S.a. 'Brownii', is a cultivated form from the U.S.A. very similar to var. murale. s162 S.a. subsp. clusianum (syn. var. glanduliferum), has pale green and pink foliage, less rampant. S.a. 'Coral Carpet' is lower growing with foliage which turns a dark, cherry-red in full sun, flowers pink. is162 S.a. 'Cristatum', produces fasciated shoots which can revert to normal. Dislikes winter wet. S.a. 'Faro Form' is a very tiny form from Faro Island in the Baltic, growing no more than 1cm high without the inflorescence. S.a. 'Hillebrandtii' is a colourful, prostrate but vigorous form from Central Europe. is162 S.a. 'Ibiza' produces faintly papillose leaves; dull but slow form from Ibiza. S.a. 'Laconicum' is similar to subsp. clusianum, but is darker red-brown. S.a. var. macranthum forms very low mats up to 1cm high, leaves 2mm, bright red in full sun, its form chloroticum is a bright yellow-green variant and chocolate-brown leaves and pink flowers, 'Cristatum' is a fasciated form of it and is hable to rot in wet conditions. S.a. 'Rubrifolium' is similar to low red Iberian forms but said to be a sport of S. murale; similar to 'Coral Carpet'. Recent exploration of Iberia and the Atlas Mountains has brought into cultivation several worthwhile variants of a non-invasive nature.