Mt. Kenya (0° 10' S, 37° 20' E) is the biggest ancient extinct volcano in Great Rift Valley areas, and the second highest peak in Africa which reaches to 5199m above the sea level (the first one is Mt. Kilimanjaro, which reaches 5892m). It straddles the equator and is located in the central part of Kenya, about 193 km north-east of Nairobi and about 480km form the Kenya coast. Mt. Kenya ecosystem constitutes an important reservoir for plant diversity, and hundreds of plants survive here, including some endemic and endangered species.  

Since 2009, Prof. WANG Qingfeng and his research team have been focusing on plants diversity of Mt. Kenya, and organized a series of scientific investigation.    

In January 2015, Sino-Africa Joint Investigation Team (SAJIT) had collected a special Sedum species of Crassulaceae from Chogoria Waterfall, Mt. Kenya. After their careful identification, this species was recognized as a new species of Kenya, and named as Sedum keniense Y. D. Zhou, G. W. Hu & Q. F. Wang. This article was published in the international journal of plant taxonomy –Phytotaxa. 

Sedum L. is the largest genus within Crassulaceae, which contains about 430 species with the major diversity center in eastern Asia, Mediterranean, and North America. Four confirmed species of this genus have been recognized in tropical east Africa (Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania): S. churchillianum Robyns &Boutique, S.Crassularia Raymond –Hamet, S.meyeri-johannis Engler, and S. ruwenzoriense Baker f..   

The new species was easily recognizable by its farinose stems and leaves and comparatively larger inflorescences and flowers. It was similar to S.ruwenzoriense and S.meyeri-johannis, which were widely distributed in the high altitude regions of most mountains in East Africa. The new species was only found near Chogoria Waterfall on Mt. Kenya, at an altitude of about 3184m. The species grows luxuriantly in wet places of cliff wall close to the waterfall and occasionally on tress.    

Sino-Africa Joint Research Center (SAJORIC), CAS and National Museum of Kenya have started the project of Flora of Kenya in November 2015. Publish of Sedum keniense was the first initial results of the cooperation of Chinese and Kenyan researchers. 

 Sedum keniense. A.Habitat; B. stem and leaves; C. inflorescences; D. bracts, sepals and flower buds; E. flower. Voucher: SAJIT 002822 (HIB). (Photographs: Y.D. Zhou.)