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cut; those next the root on long footstalks; those on the stem alter- 

 nate, subsessile. It is a native of Europe, flowering in May. 



It varies with double flowers, in which state it is cultivated as an 

 ornamental plant. 



The third has the root superficial, black, scaly, with the relics of 

 dead leaves, the thickness of a finger or thumb, round, sending down 

 filiform fibres from the lower surface: the stems from the axils of the 

 leaves of the year preceding at the tops of the roots alternate, very 

 short, almost upright, covered with the shealhs of the leaves, quite 

 simple, but branched in autumn: the leaves three or four, alternate, 

 spreading very much, obovate-oblong, crenulate, subretuse, very 

 smooth, veined, a span long, flat, coriaceous: the petioles shorter 

 by half than the leaves, roundish, channelled, smooth, with a wide 

 membrane at the base, of an ovate form, embracing, and in the win- 

 ter season serving for a gem: the scape or peduncle terminating, 

 solitary, erect, a span high, the thickness of the little finger, roundish, 

 very smooth, purplish, almost naked, many-flowered: the panicle con- 

 tracted, naked, blood-red, composed of pedate racemes : the flow- 

 ers inferior, drooping, pedicelled : the pedicels short, round, rugged. 



It is observed, that " the stem changes every year into root; that 

 which flowers one year losing its leaves during the winter, turning 

 to the ground, becoming black, and putting forth fibres:" and after 

 the plant has flowered, the stem puts forth branches from the axils 

 of the leaves, which have the panicle of flowers for the next year 

 included in their gems. 



According to Curtis, the leaves are large, red on the under, and 

 of a fine shining green on their upper surface, and may be ranked 

 among the more handsome kinds of foliage : the flowering stems, 

 according to the richness and moisture of the soil in which they are 

 planted, rise from one to two or even three feet high ; at lop sup- 

 porting a large bunch of purple pendulous flowers, expanding in 

 April and May, and, if the season prove favourable, making a fine 

 appearance. It is a native of Siberia. 



It is remarked, that " there is another Saxifrage in gardens, ex- 

 ceedingly like this in appearance, but differing, in producing larger 



