Short, creeping, greyish plant that forms mats and with erect flowering stems. Leaves linear, cylindrical 8 to 20 mm, pointed falling when dead. Flowers bright or pale yellow, 14 to 15 mm, drooping in bud, often with 7 petals.

Petrosedum forsterianum (formerly Sedum) has been recorded in VC55; it has flattened leaves which are abruptly acuminate, and obtuse/subacute sepals. 

Leaves subterete (not quite rounded in section, but not flat), acute to acuminate; sepals acute; inflorescence pendant in bud

A photograph showing leaves and sepals (a side-on view of the flowers)

Rocky places such as quarry banks, walls and stony paths.

June to August.

Evergreen perennial.

Widespread but occasional in the Southern half of Britain, scarce in Northern Scotland.

Occasional in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 33 of the 617 tetrads.