CLASS V. ORDER II.} S1LAUS. 383 



Habitat. Rocky sea coasts ; not uni'requent in the North of 

 England and Scotland. 



Perennial; flowering in July. 



The root, as well as the whole plant, has an acrid aromatic flavour, 

 with a somewhat nauseous taste. In the island of Skye it is called 

 Shunis, and is said to be eaten both in a crude and boiled state ; but 

 though probably wholesome, it is not palatable to most strangers. 



GENUS LXVII. SILA'US. BBSSER. Pepper Saxifrage. 



GEN. CHAR. Calyx margin obsolete. Petals obovate, oblong, entire, 

 or somewhat notched with an inflexed point, at the base either 

 sessile or with an appendage. Fruit roundish. Carpels with 

 five sharp equal somewhat winged ridges, the lateral ones forming 

 the margins. Channels with many vittte. Albumen nearly 

 round. General involucre of few segments, or wanting, partial 

 numerous. Name of doubtful origin. 



1. S. pra'tensis, Besser. (Fig. 445.) Meadow Pepper Saxifrage. 

 Stem angular ; leaves tri-pinnale ; leaflets entire, linear, lanceolate, 

 with a bristle point, or bi-partite, the terminal one tri-partite; general 

 involucre of one or two segments. 



Hooker, British Flora, vol. i. p. 133. Lindley, Synopsis, p. 118. 

 Peucedanum Silaus. English Botany, t. 2142. Cnidium Silaus. 

 English Flora, vol. ii. p. 91. 



Root tapering, fleshy, crowned by the withered remains of the old 

 leaves. Stem erect, branched, frequently from the base, angular, 

 somewhat furrowed and striated, smooth, purplish, especially near the 

 joints aud lower part, solid, from one to two feet high. Leaves mostly 

 radical, on longish striated footstalks, dilated at the base, the lower 

 ones three or four times pinnated, paler on the under side, the mid- 

 rib and somewhat obtuse margin rough, with minute hairs, leaflets 

 opposite, simple, linear, lanceolate, entire, with a fine bristle point, or 

 once or twice deeply cleft, separate at the base, or united, the upper 

 leaves much smaller than the lower. Umbels terminal and lateral, the 

 general of about eight irregular angular rays, the partial much more 

 numerous. General involucre of one or two linear segments, some- 

 times wanting, partial of numerous narrow linear ones. Flowers 

 numerous, white, or pale yellow. Calyx an obsolete margin. Petals 

 oblong, slightly notched, rolled inwards with an obtuse inflexed point, 

 tapering at the base into a short chaw, and with a mid-rib and two 

 slender lateral ones. Stamens with long slender filaments and rather 

 large ovule anthers. Styles straight, spreading. Stiymas obtuse. 



