l82 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



flower it^ rather resembles S. acre, but may then be known by its 

 leaves broadest about the middle, not at the base. Its flat leaves and 

 inflorescence of 2 (or at most 3) branches borne on stems only i to 2 

 inches high, distinguish it from small forms of S. album. 



Description. — A minute, mat-forming, glabrous evergreen perennial. Stem 

 slender, creeping and rooting, with many ascending barren and flowering shoots 

 1-2 inches high. Leaves alternate, crowded, often tinged red, sessile, elliptic, 

 blunt, clasping, very thick, rounded on both faces, -\ to -^g inch long, set at right 

 angles to the stem, with a slight spur not adpressed to the stem. Inflorescence 

 usually of 2 wide-spreading simple branches bearing each 3 to 6 flowers, with 

 a flower in the fork. Buds ovate, blunt. Flowers \ inch across. Sepals ovate, 

 blunt, very fleshy, resembUng the leaves, separate to the base. Petals more 

 than twice the sepals, lanceolate, apiculate, white, flushed pink on back, keeled. 

 Stamens spreading, equaUing the petals, filaments white, anthers purple. Scales 

 crimson, spathulate, twice as long as broad. Carpels slightly spreading, nearly 

 as long as the petals, white, turning red later, erect in fruit. 



Flowers June-July. Hardy. 



Habitat. — Western Europe, from Norway to Spain. 

 It derives its name from the fact that it was first described from 

 English specimens. 



Var. minus var. nov.* 



Plant very small, the leaves and flowers being 2 of the normal 

 size (linear). Flowers pinker. 



A very pretty and distinct little plant, obtained in the garden of 

 Mr. E. A. Bowles at Waltham Cross. No doubt a wild form. 



79. Sedum album Linn. (fig. 102). 



S. album Linn., "Species Plantarum," 432,1753. Masters in Gaf<^. 

 Chron. 1878, ii. 717. 



Synonyms. — S. Alberti of gardens (not of Regel, see p. 191 ; nor of Regel's 

 " Gartenflora," tab. 1019, fig. 2) ; 5. balticum Hartm. 



Illustrations. — Sowerby, " English Bot." ed. 3, pi. 529, fig. i. Reichenbach. 

 " Flor. German.," 23, tab. 55. De Candolle, " Plantes Grasses," tab. 22. " Flora 

 Danica," l,tab. 66. Curtis, " Flor. Londin," 2, pi. 52. AUioni, "Flor. Pedemont," 

 3, tab. 65. Cusin and Ansberque. " Herb. Flor. Fran9aise, Crassul," tab. 20. 

 Plenck, " Icones Plant. Medicalium," tab. 352. 



Though varying much in shape and colour of leaf, this common 

 species, which masquerades in gardens under many names, is always 

 easily recognized, as no other species has any close resemblance to 

 it. In the vegetative parts the yellow-flowered S. divergens somewhat 

 resembles it, but is separated by its flattish opposite leaves, widest 

 above. The very characteristic inflorescence finds its counterpart 

 in S. gypsicolum, but this has very different leaves, flattened, ovoid- 

 rhomboidal, and puberulous. 



Description. — A small, glabrous, creeping, evergreen perennial, soon forming 

 a large mat. Stem round, much branched, branches ascending. Leaves 

 alternate, linear-oblong to obovate, terete or flattened above, J to ^ inch long, 

 blunt, sessile, those of the flower-stem larger and fewer. Flower-stem 3 to 6 

 inches high, ascending, usually unbranched. Inflorescence of terminal and 



* Planta minima, foliis floribusque quam in typo diametro \ minoribus, flori- 

 bus roseoribus. 



