Herbs, perennial, mat-forming, glabrous. Stems ascending or decumbent, branched, not bearing rosettes. Leaves in whorls of 3(-4), spreading, sessile; blade green, not glaucous, linear-lanceolate to linear, ± laminar, 7-30 × ca. 2 mm, base short-spurred, not scarious, apex obtuse to subacute. Flowering shoots ascending or pendulous, simple, 10-30 cm; leaf blades linear, base short-spurred; offsets not formed. Inflorescences lax cymes, 10-60+-flowered, (1-)2(-3)-branched; branches spreading to widely ascending, sometimes forked; bracts similar to leaves. Pedicels absent. Flowers 5-merous; sepals spreading, distinct basally, yellowish green, linear-lanceolate, often unequal, 1.5-7(-11) × 2 mm, apex subobtuse to subacute; petals spreading, distinct, yellow, oblong, not carinate, 4-9 mm, apex subobtuse; filaments yellow; anthers dark yellow; nectar scales yellow, square-spatulate. Carpels divergent in fruit, distinct, yellowish green. 2n = 72.

Flowering spring. Margins of granitic flatrocks; ca. 100 m; introduced; Ga.; e Asia; probably introduced also in e Europe.

Sedum lineare has pale greenish yellow flowering shoots. It has become established in Columbia County, Georgia (W. H. Duncan 1985).