Authors: Griseb.  

Botanical Description

A very variable species closely related to S. tectorum. Rosettes to 6cm across, offsets not plentiful, carried on stout 2cm stolons. Leaves 2.5cm long, obovate to oblong, abruptly pointed, shortly hairy when young, becoming glabrous except for the marginal hairs. Flowering stems stout, 20cm high, the flowers 2cm across, the twelve petals red with white margins. Throughout the Balkans and Eastern Europe as far north as Czechoslovakia. S. reginaeamaliae is closely related to this species. It differs in being smaller and more compact with rosettes not exceeding 4cm across and with few, short stolons. It retains the short hairiness of its leaves when mature. Greece and Albania. S.m. 'Brunneifolium' is a very compact form with leaves which are brown, but become red in winter. Hungary. S.m. 'Rubrifolium' (syn. 'Rubicundum') has deep red leaves with green tips and margins.