190 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



83. Sedum gracile C. A. Meyer (fig. 107). 



•5. gracile CAMeyer, " Enum. Plant. Cauc," 151, 1831. Bossier, "Flora 

 Orientalis," 2, 781. Hamet in Trd. BoL Sada (Tiflis) , 8, pt. iii. 25. 



A small linear-leaved plant, having, when not in flower, some re- 

 semblance to S. sexangulare, but smaller and more tufted, not creeping. 

 The flowers are white, not yellow as in sexangulare. Closely allied 

 to S. Alberii, and ahnost identical ia flower, but Alberli has a creeping 

 habit and stems not quite so slender ; the branches of the inflorescence 



Fig. 107. — 5. gracile C. A. Meyer. 



are semi-erect and forked, and the flowers are shghtly smaller, while 

 gracile, as already stated, does not creep, and the cyme-branches are 

 not forked, and spread almost horizontally. 



Description. — A small evergreen glabrous perennial, bright-green in colour. 

 Stems procumbent below but not creeping, much branched, terete, red, shining, 

 clothed with old leaves save at the very base, with many ascending short, densely 

 leafy shoots, the flowering ones i J to 2 inches long, with leaves not so dense as on 

 the barren shoots, which are shorter. Leaves linear-oblong, blunt, up to -^ 

 inch long on the flowering shoots, rather smaller on the barren shoots, flattish 

 on face, much rounded on back, red-dotted, tips minutely papillose, sessile, 

 prolonged into a short, blunt spur. Inflorescence usually of two, occasionally 

 three or four simple patent branches with a flower in the fork, leafy throughout, 

 the bracts identical with the leaves ; branches each J inch long and each bearing 

 six or seven flowers. Buds ovate, acute. Flowers -^ inch across, subsessile. 

 Sepals elliptic, rather acute, fleshy, green, resembUng the leaves and 

 bracts, free almost to the base. Petals broadly lanceolate, thrice the sepals, 

 acute to acuminate, patent, slightly keeled, white ; on back often dotted red, 

 with a greenish nerve. Stamens shorter than the petals, filaments white, anthers 

 red-purple. Scales small, cuneate, retuse or emarginate, orange. Carpels pale 



