This plant (Sedum spathulifolium) grows on rock or thin soil in the wild around our area -- the west coast of N. America near the Canadian/U.S. border. We see it generally closer to the ocean, but this particular image was made on a high hill (about 200m) in a deep forest 2 or perhaps 3km from the closest open water. We think that it tolerates the salty mist off the ocean as well as long stretches of dry weather by absorbing fresh water when available and keeping it stored in its thick leaves.
The camera recorded the following information in the original image file:
Nikon D1X 2005-05-07 3:07:16.1 PM Color Data Format: RAW (12-bit) Compression: None Image Size: Large (3008 x 1960) Lens: 105mm f/2.8 Focal Length: 105mm Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern 1/160 sec - f/10 Exposure Comp.: 0 EV Exposure Difference: 0 EV Flash Sync Mode: Not Attached Sensitivity: ISO 320 Color Mode: Mode II (Adobe RGB) Hue Adjustment: 3 Gerald & Irmgard Carter White Balance: Cloudy Tone Comp: Less Contrast Sharpening: None