168 CRASSULACEAE. {Vou. II. 
ro. Sedum Névii A. Gray. Nevius’ Stone- 
crop. (Fig. 1819.) 
UISY/ 
SONS 
oN 
Sedum Nevii A. Gray, Man. Ed. 5,172. 1867. 
Densely tufted, glabrous, stems spreading or decum- 
bent, flowering branches ascending, 3/-5’ high. Leaves 
of the sterile shoots very densely imbricated, spatulate 
or obovate, narrowed or cuneate at the base, mostly 
sessile, rounded at the apex, entire, 3’’-6’’ long, 1’’-2’” 
wide, the lower ones smaller; leaves of the flowering 
branches spatulate or linear-oblong, alternate; cyme 
about 3-forked, its branches usually recurved in flower; 
flowers close together, 3/’-4’’ broad; petals linear, 
acuminate, longer than the sepals; follicles about 2’” 
long, widely divergent, tipped with the short style. 
On rocks, mountains of Virginia to Alabama. May-June, 
3. SEMPERVIVUM L. Sp. Pl. 464. 1753. 
Fleshy perennial herbs, the thick succulent leaves densely imbricated on the short 
sterile shoots and scattered on the erect flowering stems, with compound terminal usually 
dense cymes of showy flowers. Flowers 6-20-parted. Petals distinct, oblong or lanceolate, 
acute or acuminate. Stamens twice as many as the petals. Styles filiform; ovules ». 
Follicles many-seeded. [Latin, always living. ] 
About 4o species, natives of the Old World, chiefly distinguished from Sedum by the more nu- 
merous parts of the flower. 
1. Sempervivum tectorum L,. Houseleek. 
(Fig. 1820.) 
Sempervivum tectorum 1. Sp. Pl. 464. 1753. 
Flowering stems about 1° high, the barren shoots forming 
lateral nearly globular tufts. Leaves oval or ovate, the 
lower 1/-1'4/ long, very thick, short-pointed, bordered by a 
line of stiff short hairs; cyme large, dense; flowers some- 
times 1/ broad, pink, sessile along its spreading or recurved 
branches; petals lanceolate, acute, 2 to 3 times as long as the 
obtuse ciliate sepals. 
Essex Co., Mass., escaped from gardens and reported as well 
established; Somerset Co., N. J. Native of continental Europe. 
Summer. Old English names, Homewort, Sengreen and Thunder- 
plant; a fancied protection against lightning, as well as fire. 
4. PENTHORUM L. Sp. Pl. 432. 1753- 
Erect perennial scarcely succulent herbs, with alternate sessile serrate thin leaves, and 
greenish perfect flowers in forked secund cymes. Calyx 5-parted. Petals usually wanting, if 
present 5. Stamens 10, hypogynous; filaments filiform. Carpels 5, united to the middle, 
ovules #. Capsule depressed, 5-lobed, 5-beaked, the lobes tipped with divergent styles; 
many-seeded. [Greek, five, from the symmetrical flower. ] 
About 3 species, natives of eastern North America, Japan and Ch’na. The following is the only 
one known in North America. The genus is referred to the Saxifrage Family by some authors, 
