FAMILY HERBAL. 173 



Great Houseleek. Sedum majus. 



A plant sufficiently known as well by its particular 

 manner of growing., as for its place of growth. It 

 forms itself into clusters of a roundish figure, these 

 are composed of leaves,, which are largest toward 

 the bottom., and smallest at the end ; they are very 

 thick and juicy, broad at the base, sharp at the 

 point, flat on the upper side, a little rounded on 

 the under, and somewhat hairy at their edges. The 

 stalk grows to ten inches high ; it is very thick, 

 round, and juicy, upright, of a reddish colour, 

 and divided at the top into a few branches. The 

 leaves on it are thin and narrow. The flowers 

 are numerous ; they are red and have a green head 

 in their middle, which afterwards becomes a cluster of 

 seed-vessels. 



The leaves are the part used ; they are applied 

 externally in inflammations, and are very useful, 

 when cooling things may be employed. The juice 

 is also cooling and astringent taken inwardly, but 

 it is rarely used. Some praise it greatly for the in- 

 flammations of the eyes. 



There is another kind of houseleek very unlike 

 this in form, but of the same virtues, this is called 

 the lesser houseleek ; the stalks are round, small, and 

 reddish, and grow six inches high ; the leaves are 

 long and rounded, not flat as the other leaves ; and 

 the flowers are white, and stand in a kind of tufts, 

 like umbels at the tops of the stalks. This grows on 

 old walls, and the tops of houses like the other. 



Least Houseleek, or Wall Pepper. Sedum 

 minimum acre. 



A common plant on old walls, of kin to the 



