SAXIFEAGE TRIBE 33 



rosemary stitch," and many another stitch, suggested the remembrance of 

 some one of their manifold traceries and devices. Parkinson, writing of it in 

 1629, terms it Sedum, and says, "Some of our English gentlewomen have 

 called it Prince's Feather, which, although it be but a by-name, may well 

 serve for this plant to distinguish it." 



The London Pride as a wild plant is rare in England, though naturalized 

 in woods at Wetherby and at Craven, in Yorkshire. The Rev. W. T. Bree, 

 commenting on this plant, says, " Mr. Lees informs us that Saxifraga umhrosa 

 may now be found on some of the rocks at Malvern ; but he very properly 

 assigns to it a garden origin. Some years since, Avhile touring in Yorkshire, 

 I was at no small pains in endeavouring to meet with this plant in a truly 

 wild state, and with this view visited the spot (Hestleton Gill) so minutely 

 pointed out as its habitat in ' English Botany.' The result, however, of my 

 examination was only an increased doubt as to the species being even in this 

 sequestered spot really of spontaneous growth. It has been confidently 

 asserted that the plant occurs wild in Ireland ; but erroneously, I believe, 

 unless indeed the discovery has been made of late years. The London Prides 

 which grow unquestionably wild, and so profusely adorn the rocks and 

 mountains of Kerry, that is, the Gap of Dunloe, and the rocks near Killarney, 

 are not Saxifraga umbrosa, but some allied species, be they two (aS*. geum and 

 hirsuta) or more, with their perplexing host of endless varieties ; and I very 

 much doubt whether any truly wild habitat for Saxifraga umhrosa be yet 

 known, either in Ireland, England, or even Scotland ; or, indeed, whether 

 the plant be in fact originally indigenous. Ireland is the proper country of 

 the London Pride family of the Saxifrage genus. In some parts of that 

 country they grow in astonishing profusion; but among all the countless 

 varieties which are to be met with, I never could see in a wild state any one 

 that could be mistaken by a botanist for the true S. uinhrosa." Our best 

 writers on British plants, as Sir William Hooker, Dr. Arnott, and Mr. 

 Babington, all agree with the opinion that the plant is not indigenous in 

 Britain, though it is regarded as a native of West and South-west Ireland. 

 Besides the places named, it grows about Edinburgh and Glasgow. Several 

 varieties occur of this species, many of which are regarded by some botanists 

 as distinct species. Such a one is the plant called aS'. elegans, which grows on 

 the Turk mountain, and is probably a hybrid between S. umbrosa and *S'. geum. 

 It has round, smooth, shining serrated leaves, with foot-stalks which are broad, 

 flat, and serrated beneath. The type of the species has smooth leaves, longer 

 than they are broad, with the teeth either blunt or short, and pointed ; and 

 it flowers in June and July. The varieties differ much in the toothing, as 

 well as in the form of the leaves. 



3. Kidney-shaped Saxifrage (*S'. gaim). — Leaves roundish or kidney- 

 shaped, sharply toothed, or having rounded notches ; foot-stalks hairy, linear, 

 and channelled above ; leaves in one form hairy on both sides, in a second 

 variety smooth on both sides. Plant perennial. This species is very nearly 

 allied to S. umhrosa, of which it is probably a sub-species, but it may be dis- 

 tinguished by its kidney-shaped leaves. It flowers in June, and is common 

 on the mountains of Cork and Kerry. Its ordinary form has the leaves 

 sharply toothed, but there are several varieties and hybrids found in its 



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