THE SAXIFRAGE. 357 



SAXIFRAGE. 



Saxifraga. 



Welsh, Tormaen, Tormaen tribys (S. tridactylltes), C16r y bran 

 (S.granulata). Irish, Gloris. French, Saxifrage. German, 

 Steinbrech. Italian, Sassifraga. Spanish, Saxifraga. H- 

 lyric, Dvidac. 



LINNTEAN-. NATURAL. 



Decandria. Saxifragece. 



Digynia. Saxifraga. 



THE saxifrage, called in Old England, " stone-break- 

 root" from the wonderful manner in 

 which the tender fibres of its root- 

 lets penetrate the most stony and 

 unpromising places, thus finding 

 footing on the barest rocks, is taken 

 from the Latin, and bears a name 

 of the same meaning in Welsh 

 (Tormaeri), and in several other 

 languages. Its medical uses ap- 

 pear to be either very trifling, or 

 almost undiscovered ; and Gerarde 

 only remarks that " it comforteth 

 the stomach,"and "helpethcholer ;" 

 dismissing the rue-leaved saxifrage, 

 or whitlow-grasf/S'. tridactylltes) the 



& v ^ ' 



Tormaen tribys, or three-fingered Saxifraga 

 saxifrage of the Welsh, with the remark that ; " as 



