CRASSULACE.E. 61 



sepals, ciliated and pubescent. Ilypogynous scales extremely small, 

 convex, resembling glands. 



On roofs and old walls. Not uncommon, but not native. 



[England, Scotland, Ireland.] Perennial. Summer. 



Rosettes 2 to 4 incbes across. Mowering-stems 9 incbes to 



' 2 feet higb, tbick, with tbe leaves 1^ to 2 incbes long. Plowers 



f to 1 incb across, dull rose streaked witb purple, and tbe petals 



witb a green keel on tbe outside. The 12 inner stamens frequently 



converted into pistils, or abortive. Eollicles dull rose-colour. 



Common House-leek. 



French, Jouharhe des Toils. German, Dach Ilauslauch. 



The appearance of this curious plant is familiar to us all, as it covers the roofs of 

 time-worn cottages or battei'ed castle-walls. The thick succulent leaves enable the 

 plant to retain vitality even in the driest weather, acting as reservoirs of moisture. 

 We have seen, in old-fashioned farm-houses, pleasant fresh-looking fireplace-screens, or 

 chimney-boards, lasting the summer through, made by these plants inserted into a frame 

 of cross-bars of wire or wood, so that their roots are towards the grate, and their 

 closely-arranged disks towards the room, the whole surface being occasionally spi'inkled 

 with water. The House-leek possesses a very popular reputation as a remedy in cuts 

 and bruises, burns and scalds. Boei-haave gave the juice for dysentery. It is sometimes 

 mixed with cream or milk for external application. With honey it was at one time con- 

 sidered a good remedy for the thrush in children, being applied with a hair-pencil. The 

 House-leek had several names in olden times, — such as Sengreen or Aggreen, both 

 translations of Sempervivum. It was also called Jupiter's Beard, Jupiter's Eye, and 

 Bullock's Beard : in Scotland it is termed Fouets, In Gerarde's time the medical repu- 

 tation of the House-leek was at its height. He tells us that " the juice mixed with barly 

 meale and vineger pi-evaileth against St. Anthonies fire, all hot burnings and fretting 

 ulcers, and against scaldings, burnings, and hot inflammations, and also the gout 

 comming of an hot cause." "The juice of House-leeke," says he, "garden nightshade, 

 and the buds of poplar boiled in hog's grease, make the most singular populeon that 

 ever was used in surgerie. The juice hei'eof taketh away cornes from the toes and feet, 

 if they be washed and bathed therewith, and every day and night, as it were, emplais- 

 tered with the skin of the same Houseleeke, which certainly taketh them away without 

 incision or suchlike, as hath been experimented by my verie good friend Mr. Nicholas 

 Belson, a man painful and curious in searching forth the secrets of natui-e." 



Ill the days of superstition, the House-leek was supposed to protect the buildings 

 on which it grew from lightning. Charlemagne ordered it to be planted on the roof 

 of every house, probably with this view, and the custom still prevails both in England 

 and on the Continent, though the only service it can render is possibly to preserve the 

 thatch on cottage roofs : its pi-etty and picturesque appearance, with its rosy-tipped 

 leaves, in such situations cannot be questioned. 



GUNUS jr.— C OTYLEDON. Li?i7i. 



Calyx of 5 (or 4) sepals, united at tbe base. Petals united 

 into a bell-sbaped or cylindrical corolla, which is 5- (or 4-) toothed 



