CHAPTER XIV 



THE STONECROPS (Sedum) 



There is a piece of the flower border in my garden 

 that faces full south, and the soil in this area is dry 

 and stony. In the summer-time nearly every 

 plant that grows there gets scorched by the heat 

 of the sun and for lack of moisture. There are 

 two species of plants there, however, that thrive 

 and flourish amazingly ; and, although they are 

 very unlike in appearance, yet a botanical eye will 

 readily detect that they come of the same genus. 



These plants are known familiarly as Stone- 

 crops. The first is the common Orpine, or Live- 

 long (Sedum Telephmm) y a fleshy-leaved plant 

 (Fig. 93, Plate d"]), about twelve or sixteen inches 

 high, whose corymbs of pink or purple flowers 

 begin to appear about the middle of August. 

 Its nectar is dearly loved by numerous insects, as 

 bees, drone-flies, hover-flies, and especially by the 

 peacock, red admiral, and tortoiseshell butter- 

 flies. 



The other plant is the familiar Wall-pepper 

 (Sedum acre), a low-growing plant that spreads 

 itself over the ground in stony and sandy places 

 like a green carpet, its golden yellow flowers 

 appearing about the middle of June. The w^all- 

 pepper derives its popular name from the fact that 



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