360 WILD FLOWEKS. 



species are : 1 . the white meadow-saxifrage (S. granu- 

 Idta), the Clor y bran, crow's earth-nuts or potatoes 

 of the Welsh, so called from the number of small 

 clustered tubers which distinguish its root ; 2. the 

 bulbous-saxifrage (S. cernua), which has frequently 

 the peculiarity of bearing no flower, though at other 

 times it has one large white terminal blossom, while 

 it propagates itself by means of clusters of very 

 small bulbs which grow in the axils of the upper 

 leaves, giving, of course, a very distinctive charac- 

 ter to the plant; 3. the Alpine rock-saxifrage (S. 

 rivuldris), abounding on the Loch na gar, but exceed- 

 ingly rare on the summits of Ben Nevis and Ben 

 Lawers, which three are its only known British habi- 

 tats ; 4 the tufted Alpine saxifrage (S. ccespitosd), 

 occurring, though very rarely, on the higher moun- 

 tains of Scotland, Wales, and Ireland ; 5. the so- 

 called pedatifid-saxifrage (8. pedatifida), found only 

 near the head of Clova in Angusshire, and there 

 only by the Don, and appearing to be quite a dis- 

 tinct species ; 6. the mossy Alpine saxifrage (8. 

 muscoldes), which is very well known in our gar- 

 dens, and grows in Westmorland, and also in the 

 highlands of Scotland, though Sir W. Hooker seems 

 to think it but a doubtful native ; and to these must 

 be added 7. the mossy-saxifrage (S. hypnoides) with 

 its varieties already alluded to. 



The Chrysospleniums are also, though erroneously, 

 called saxifrages in English ; and this practice of 

 applying a known name to a different tribe has 

 often led to considerable confusion. 



