322 



FIELD AND WOODLAND PLANTS 



globular, of a pale green colour with, often, a tinge of red. On the 

 small flo\A'erless branches the leaves are very crowded and over- 

 lapping ; but on the taller, flowering stems they are more scattered 

 and placed alternately. The little starlike flowers are white, 

 frequently tinged with pink or spotted with red, and arranged in 

 a short, two-forked panicle. They have short, green sepals ; narrow, 

 sharply-pointed petals about twice the length ; and stamens with 

 bright red anthers. 



2. The White Stonecrop {S. album).— 

 A somewhat similar plant, from three to 

 seven inches high, sometimes seen in 

 large clusters on rocks, walls, and roofs, 

 bearing white or pinkish flowers d\u-ing 

 July and August. The whole plant is 

 smooth ; and its short creeping stock 

 jives rise to short barren stems with 

 crowded leaves, and erect flowering 

 stems with scattered 

 leaves. The leaves aie 

 very thick, of a bright 

 green colour, about a 

 third of an inch long, 

 and oblong or cyUn- 

 drical in form. The 

 panicles are much 

 branched, with, usually, 

 reddish stems; and 

 each consists of numer- 

 ous flowers with short, 

 blunt sepals, and nar- 

 row, oblong petals 

 about three times as 

 long. This species is not so common as either the last or the 

 following. 



3. The Biting Stonecrop or Wall Pepper {S. acre).— A smooth 

 plant, of a yellowish green colour, biting to the taste, very common 

 on rocks, walls and roofs, bearing golden yellow flowers during July 

 and August. It has short, barren stems, covered with closely- 

 overlapping leaves arranged in six rows ; and erect flowering 

 branches from two to four inches in height. The leaves are very 

 small, thick, succulent, oval or almost globular in form. The 



THE Wall rKNNYWOUT oil Kavelwort. 



