Authors: Raf.  

Botanical Description

Rhodiola indicum). (10). Herbaceous perennial with a low caudex. Stems erect, barely 10cm tall. Leaves obovate, pointed, dentate at the tips, 20 by 8mm Flowers usually four-petalled, dioecious, 3-4mm long, deep red. Alaska to Colorado and New Mexico. Difficult to maintain. S.i. var. atropupureum is a strong, taller-growing, deep red-flowered Asian variant, perhaps most commonly encountered due to its non-fussy nature. S.i. subsp. leedyi has stems to 20cm and longer, glaucous leaves dentate on the upper half only. North-eastern U.S.A. mostly on limestone and only in two disjunct areas. S.i. subsp. neomexicanum has stems to 25cm and entire, long, narrow leaves. Petals are greenish-yellow. White Mountain Peak at 3500m, Lincoln County, New Mexico. S.i. subsp. procerum reaches 15cm in height. Leaves entire, spinach-green. Southern Rocky Mountains at very high altitudes.