HOUSELEEK 



i6i 



a rosette, stalkless. wedt^'c-shaiK-il, flat above-, white below, and smooth 

 or olabroLis. 



The tlowcrs are numerous and close, turnetl all one \va\', usually 

 erect, and reddish or pink. The calyx is 12-partite, sticky, tringctl with 

 hairs, purple above. The corolla has 12 petals, which are twice as 

 lonjj;^ as the caly.x, of a purplish colour. There are 12 stamens with 

 purple anthers. The ca[)sules are numerous, Hattened at the border, 

 and 0[)en inwards, in the 

 form ot follicles with many 

 seeds. 



The plant is tall, reach- 

 ing a height ot 1 2 in. or 

 more. It llowers irom June 

 to August. Houseleek is 

 perennial or biennial, and 

 reproduced by di\ision. 



The colour of the 

 flowers, which are pur])le, 

 depends on their adapta- 

 tion to a narrow or wide 

 circle of visitors. The 

 honey lies hidden, and 

 the flowers are visited l)y 

 bees, Lepidoptera, and 

 long-tongued tlies. Whilst 

 there are 10 stamens in 

 Sediini , in Se?upe)i 'k 'ii 11/ 

 there are 12-40. The an- 

 thersopen first, butself-pol- 

 lination is not impossible. 



The follicle splitting open allows the numerous seeds to lall over 

 a wide compass around the [jarent plant wlien sliaken out by the 

 wind. 



Houseleek is a mur.il or roof plant, and requires for its growth 

 a certain amount of humus. 



Endophylliiui scnipcriui'i, a cluster-cup fungus, noteworthy since it 

 is sunk in the surface of the leaf, is found upon Houseleek, and also 

 a mould Plivtoplithora oninivora. No insect makes a food-plant of it. 



Scmpcrviviini, Pliny, is Latin for li\elong, and icctoritiu alludes to 

 its roof habitat. 



Houseleek goes by the following names: Aye-green, Uullock's-eye, 



Vni. V 73 



I'liolo, J. M, Cralitre,? 



H(>isi:i.HKK {Sc}>ipervi''it}ii trdonini, I,.) 



