268 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



At a, in fig, 156, is shown a barren shoot during drought, with 

 the leaves incurved. At h is shown the same shoot after a subsequent 

 short spell of wet weather. 



The specific name refers to its preference for a rocky habitat. 



131. Sedum reflexum Linn. (figs. 157, 164, h). 



S. reflexum Linn., "Species Plantarum," ed. 2, 618, 1762, in part. 

 Baker in Gard. Chron. 1877, ii. 461. Masters, ibid. 1878, ii. 658. 



Synonym. — 5. rupestre, Linn., loc. cit., in part. 



Illustrations. — De CandoUe, " Plantes Grasses," tab. 116. Sowerby, 

 "English Bot." ed. 3, pi. 534. Reichenbach, " Flor. German.," 23, tab. 60. 

 Cusin and Ansberque, " Herb. Flor. Fran9aise, Crassul.," tab. 29. 



This variable plant may be distinguished from the other members 

 of the rupestre group by its possessing the following combination of 

 characters : stem creeping (which excludes Douglasii and most forms 

 of stenopetalum) , leaves terete (excludes sienopeialum, rupestre, 

 altissimum, pruinatum), young inflorescence subglobular (excludes all 

 hut rupestre and altissimum) and drooping (excludes all but rupestre), 

 fruiting inflorescence cup-shaped (excludes all but rupestre and altis- 

 simum), flowers golden yellow (excludes altissimum, pruinatum, and 

 most forms of anopetalum). It will be noted that in the characters 

 chosen rupestre shows the most frequent agreement with reflexum ; 

 but the leaves of rupestre, quite flat above, will always distinguish it 

 from the former. 



Description. — A creeping evergreen perennial, forming a loose mat. Stems 

 rooting below, ascending ; barren shoots many, 1-4 inches long, round, smooth, 

 leafy ; flowering shoots 6-12 inches, unbranched, leaves more distant. Leaves 

 . crowded, green or glaucous, \ inch long, sessile, shortly spurred, linear, acute, 

 nearly terete, ascending or recurved. Inflorescence a dense convex or flattish 

 cyme, i-ij inch across, of 3 to 5 forked branches with flowers in the forks ; 

 drooping and subglobose in bud, hollow-topped in fruit. Buds ovoid, blunt, 

 ribbed. Flowers 5- to 7-parted, shortly stalked, f inch across. Calyx cup- 

 shaped, green, fleshy, persistent in fruit, lobes ovate-lanceolate, acute, tribe very 

 short. Petals bright yellow, linear-lanceolate, acute, keeled on back, grooved 

 on face, wide-spreading, twice the sepals. Stamens yellow, spreading, shorter 

 than the petals. Scales yellow, quadrate, notched. Carpels yellow, erect, 

 equalling the stamens, tapering into the long slender styles. 



Flowers July. Hardy. 



Habitat. — W., N., and Central Europe. Naturalized on old 

 walls and occasionally on rocks in many parts of the British Isles. 



One of the commonest of European Sedums both in the native state 

 and in gardens, whence it often migrates to rocks and walls in districts 

 where it is not indigenous. Its wide distribution in gardens and 

 power of spreading, combined with a considerable variation in form 

 and a similarity to several other species, have led to much confusion, 

 and it is to be found grown under many erroneous names. As an 

 instance of the confusion which exists among the Sedums as found in 

 gardens, some of the names under which 5. reflexum arrived from 

 reputable sources may be quoted : Alberti, alpestre, elongatum, 



