242 SAXIFRAGACEJE. 



capsule 2-beaked. (Name from the Greek, chrysos, gold, 

 and splen, the spleen, from some imaginary virtues of 

 the plant.) 



1. SAXIFRAGA (Saxifrage). 

 * Calyx reflexed, inferior ; flowers whitish, panicled. 



1. S. stelldris (Starry Saxifrage). Leaves oblong, 

 wedge-shaped, toothed, scarcely stalked ; panicle of few 



-.flowers. Wet rocks, and sides of rivulets, in Scotland, 

 Ireland, and the north of England. A mountain plant, 

 3 5 inches high, with coarsely toothed leaves, and 

 rather large white petals, each with two yellow spots 

 near the base. Fl. June, July. Perennial. 



2. S. umbrosa (London Pride, or St. Patrick's Cab- 

 bage). Leaves roundish, egg-shaped, with white notches, 

 tapering at the base into a flat stalk. In the south and 

 west of Ireland, plentiful ; naturalized in many parts 

 of England, and very common in gardens. A well- 

 known plant, with rose-like tufts of fleshy leaves, and 

 panicles of small white flowers, dotted with pink. 

 Though growing naturally on mountains, there is 

 scarcely any situation where it will not make itself 

 at home, even in the smoky gardens of London. Hence 

 it varies considerably in form, and has been subdivided 

 by some botanists into several species. El. June. Per- 

 ennial. 



* To this group belong S. Geum (Kidney-shaped 

 Saxifrage), distinguished by its kidney-shaped leaves ; 

 common on mountains in the south of Ireland : and 

 $. hirsuta, a species intermediate between S. Geum and 

 S. umbrosa, also an Irish plant, but very rare. 



** Calyx spreading ; leaves not' divided. 



3. S. nivdlis (Clustered Alpine Saxifrage). Leaves 

 all from the root, inversely egg-shaped, sharply crenate ; 

 calyx half inferior ; flowers in a crowded head. Moun- 

 tains in Wales and Scotland. An alpine plant, 3 6 



