Sedum alfredii H: A new Zn hyperaccumulating plant first found in China

Field survey and greenhouse experiments were carried out to identify and characterize zinc (Zn) uptake and accumulation by a new Zn hyperaccumulating plant species (Sedum alfredii Hance) native to China. Zinc concentration in the shoots of Sedum alfredii Hance grown on an ancient mined area ranged from 4134 to 5000 mg/kg, with a mean of 4515 mg/kg. It suggests that Sedum alfredii could not only grow on heavily Pb/Zn contaminated soils, but also could accumulate extraordinarily high concentration of Zn. Under nutrient solution culture conditions, Sedum alfredii Hance grew healthy at Zn supplying levels from 0.006 to 240 mg@L-1. Zinc concentration in the shoots increased with external Zn levels increasing. The Zn concentration and accumulation in the shoots reached the highest at Zn supply level of 80 mg/L, with 19.67 g/kg and 19.83 mg/plant, respectively. All the results showed that Sedum alfredii Hance is a new Zn hyperaccumulating plant. This provides a new plant material to explore mechanism of plant to hyperaccumulate Zn, and a potent new plant species to phytoremediate Zn contaminated soils.