STONE-CROP, OR WALL-PEPPER. 71 



The root of the stone-crop is perennial and very fibrous, 

 its minute threads penetrating into the smallest crevices. 

 The stalks are numerous, growing- in tufts, many of them 

 trailing, flowerless, and of no great size, others erect 

 and bearing the clusters of flowers. These latter are 

 ordinarily from one to three inches high; but the plant leads 

 a somewhat hard life, and may often be found much 

 dwarfed in consequence, while at other times, as when 

 amidst other foliage or rockwork, it is drawn up to a 

 considerable height. The stems branch a good deal, and 

 are clothed with numerous leaves. The little, upright, and 

 very succulent leaves that so closely overlap on the flower- 

 less stems form a characteristic in itself sufficient to dis- 

 tinguish the 8. acre from the other yellow-flowering species 

 in the genus. The foliage has a semi-transparent look, and 

 the leaves are not flat, as in most plants, but so fleshy in 

 substance as to be almost round in cross section. The 

 flowers are of a brilliant yellow tint ; the sepals, five in 

 number, are very small and inconspicuous, but the five 

 acutely pointed and spreading petals form a noticeable 

 feature. The stamens are ten in number, and about equal 

 in length to the parts of the corolla, and the anthers at 

 their summits agree in tint with the petals. 



The generic name refers to the ready way in which the 

 plant can make itself at home on hard rock or brick, with 

 the slightest possible modicum of soil ; it is derived from 

 the Latin verb meaning " to sit." The specific name alludes 

 to the sharp, pungent taste of the leaves. This pungency 

 of flavour has procured for the stone-crop the names of 

 wall-pepper and wall-ginger. The name by which it is 

 known in Germany is equivalent to wall-pepper, while in 

 France it is the ' ' pain d'oiseau." It is curious that in 



