The family Crassulaceae in continental Portugal

Abstract

Apart from two present-day centres of high species diversity, one in southern Africa and the other in Mexico, the Crassulaceae, a large family of mainly herbaceous leaf succulents, is also well-represented in Europe in terms of both genera and species. One of these genera, the predominantly continental European genus Sedum L., has for a long time been acknowledged as in need of being split into smaller, more homogenous genera. The recent implementation of some of these taxonomic proposals is here applied to the crassuloid taxa of continental Portugal (islands excluded), with particular reference to Petrosedum Grulich. An updated and expanded checklist of the genera and species of Crassulaceae occurring in Portugal is provided, along with notes on differences between Sedum and Petrosedum. Thirty-six species of Crassulaceae are now recorded for Portugal (continent, excluding islands), of which 14 are introduced.