Herbs, annual, not tufted, glabrous. Stems erect or decumbent, simple or branched, not bearing rosettes. Leaves alternate, widely divergent, sessile; blade pale or bluish green, not glaucous, narrowly lanceolate-elliptic or oblong, subterete to, rarely, globular, 3-6 × 1.5-2 mm, base short-spurred, not scarious, apex obtuse. Flowering shoots erect, simple or branched, 2.5-11 cm; leaf blades lanceolate-elliptic or oblong, base short-spurred; offsets not formed. Inflorescences cymes, 20-60(-100)-flowered, 1-3-branched; branches ± erect to spreading, sometimes slightly recurved, usually not forked, sometimes 1-2-forked; bracts similar to leaves. Pedicels absent or to 1 mm. Flowers 5-merous; sepals erect, distinct, yellow-green, lanceolate or lanceolate-oblong, unequal, 0.6-3 × 0.4-1.5 mm, (base short-spurred), apex acute; petals spreading, distinct, yellow, elliptic-oblong, slightly cucullate, 2-4 mm, apex mucronate; filaments yellow; anthers yellow; nectar scales yellow or translucent, stipitate-reniform, subquadrate, or obovate. Carpels widely spreading in fruit, connate basally, straw-yellow. 2n = 20.

Flowering spring-summer. Open areas, shallow soil, commonly over granite or sandstone; 200-400 m; Ark., Kans., La., Mo., Okla., Tex.

Until recently, Sedum nuttallii was thought to have been published first in 1833 (not 1829), a year after S. nuttallianum Rafinesque; consequently the latter name has been applied incorrectly to this species.