133 



WALLS, EUIN3, BOCKS, AND WASTE 

 PLACES. 



A S we climb the ivy-mantled ruin, and repose in 

 the shady bower it lias made, we shall find 

 some of the most brilliant of oar summer wild flowers 

 in bloom. 



" For who would sing the flowers of June " 



would find the task a long one even for a summer's day. 

 The golden star-like flowers of the common biting 

 Stonecrop (Sedum acre) sit, as the name implies, on 

 many a stone wall, and reflect the sunshine on many 

 a cottage roof. The flowers, it should be noted, do 

 not grow on the leafy stems, but on leafless stalks. 

 Tne old names of gold-dust, gold chain, wall-pepper, 

 Jack of the buttery, have died out, except wall-pepper, 

 which it retains from its pungency. There are eleven 

 wild kinds of stouecrop, many of which do not differ 

 materially to the eye from the common Sedum. The 

 Tasteless Stonecrop (Sedum sexangulare} and the 

 crooked Yellow Stonecrop (Sedum reflcxum) are com- 

 mon on walls and roofs of houses. The latter has large 



