92 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



In the early stages of growth this species recalls S. maxitnutn rather 

 than S. speciahile, on account of its green colour, comparatively narrow 

 outline and sessile leaves, broad and rounded at the base ; the shape 

 and colour of the inflorescence recall spedabile strongly, and the flowers 

 resemble those of spedabile with all the parts shortened. The different 

 proportions of the plant give it an appearance different from spectabile : 

 thus, the ratio of height to diameter of inflorescence is about 3 to i in 

 spedabile, 6 to i in pseudospedabile ; the ratio of height to width of the 

 plant across the leaves is 2\ to i in spedabile, 5 to i in the other. The 

 length of the petals, stamens, and carpels is in pseudospedabile § of 

 that found in spedabile, whQe their breadth remains the same. In 

 the Telephium group, the floral characters are often so similar in 

 quite difterent species that the similarity of flower in the two species 

 under consideration does not necessarily suggest merely varietal 

 difference. 



Named from its resemblance to 5. spedabile. 



28. Sedum spectabile Boreau (figs. 36/, 43). 



S. spedabile Boreau in " Mem. Soc. Acad. Maine-et-Loire," 20, 116, 1866. 

 Maximowicz in Bull. Acad. Peiersbourg, 29, 140, 1883. Masters 

 in Gard. Chron. 1878, ii. 336. 



Illustrations. — Regel, " Gartenflora," tab. 709, figs. 1-3. Saunders, "Refug. 

 Botan.," tab. 32. " Illustration Horticoie," 8, tab. 271. Jordan and Fourreau, 

 " Icones Plant. Europ.," 1, pi. 100. 



One of the most noble of Sedums. Its very large flat panicles of 

 pinkish flowers set among the pale glaucous foliage render it a valuable 

 plant for the border in autumn. Common in cultivation it is not 

 easily confounded with any other species. The very long stamens, 

 exceeding the petals, alone will distinguish it if any doubt exists. As 

 in several of the Telephium group, the arrangement of the leaves varies, 

 but they are generally in opposite pairs or in threes. 



Under the names of var. atropurpureum, var. " BriUiant," etc., 

 forms with deeper-coloured flowers are offered for sale, which are 

 generally regarded as improvements on the pink-flowered type. 

 Like several of the Telephium group, it prefers a heavier soil than 

 suits the majority of Sedums. 



Description. — A robust glaucous herbaceous perennial, i-ij feet high. 

 Root of several carrot-shaped tubers. Stems erect, stout, leafy, unbranched, 

 smooth, round. Leaves usually opposite or ternate, wide-spreading, subsessile, 

 obovate, about 3 inches long by 2 inches broad (up to 5 by 3), fleshy, rather 

 weakly and distantly toothed, slightly wedge-shaped below. Inflorescence a 

 very large flat-topped dense corymb, 4-6 inches across, pedicels rather 

 shorter than the flowers. Buds pointed, thrice as long as broad. Flowers 

 pink, very numerous, ^ inch across. Sepals whitish-green, lanceolate, \ the 

 petals, separate nearly to the base. Petals pink, lanceolate, acute, semi-erect 

 or patent, J inch long. Stamens rather variable in length, those opposite the 

 petals sUghtly exceeding them, those between the petals J longer than the 

 others ; anthers purple. Scales whitish, cuneate, emarginate. Carpels erect, 

 pink, slightly shorter than the petals, erect in fruit- 



