ON WALLS, ROCKS AND STONY PLACES 



321 



order (Geraniacece), distinguished by the swollen joints of its stem. 

 The leaves are ahuost round in general outline, but are deeply 

 divided into five, broad, coarsely- toothed segments. The flowers 

 are small, rose-coloiu^ed, and generally grow in pau's on axillary 

 stalks. They have five, erect, wrinkled sepals, with long points ; 

 and five short, rather broad, entire petals. This species is common 

 in most parts of 

 Britain. It varies in 

 height from six to 

 eighteen inches, and 

 flowers from May to 

 September. 



We have now to 

 consider a few species 

 of the order Cras- 

 sulacecB, which includes 

 some very interesting 

 succulent plants that 

 are peculiarly adapted 

 to a life in the dryest 

 of situations on walls, 

 roofs, &c. In addition 

 to the thick, fleshy 

 nature of their stepis 

 and leaves, these 

 plants are distin- 

 guished by terminal 

 cymes or corymbs of 

 flowers with (usually) 

 five sepals, the same 

 number of distinct 

 petals, twice as many 

 stamens arranged in 



two whorls, and carpels equal in number to the petals. Three 

 of the plants referred to are known as Stonecrops, and may be 

 recognised by the following descriptions : — 



I. The English Stonecrop {Sedum anglicum). — A smooth plant, 

 two or three inches liigh, abundant in rocky and stony places, 

 especially in the West and near the sea, flowering from June to 

 August. Its stems are more or less decumbent, much branched 

 and rooting at the base ; and its leaves are small, thick, almost 



The Biting stonecrop or Wall pepper. 



