32O THE ALPINE FLORA 



Crassulaceae 



Everyone is familiar with the succulent aspect and fleshy 

 leaves that are so characteristic of this order, which is 

 represented in England by Tillaeaznd Cotyledon (Navel or 

 Pennywort) as well as the two garden genera mentioned 

 below. The leaves are simple, entire and without stipules; 

 the flowers usually regular, generally with five divisions, 

 arranged in what are known as scorpioid cymes or corymbs; 

 the calyx is persistent. Both Sedums and Sempervivums 

 are of the easiest culture in gritty soil (limestone, as a 

 rule, by preference) and full sunshine. Sedum villosum, 

 a charming native found on Ingleborough, requires con- 

 siderable moisture. Both genera are extremely extensive 

 and it is impossible to find room for anything like a com- 

 prehensive collection without specialising; many, also, of 

 the Sedums at least, are little better than weeds. Of those 

 mentioned below Sed. album, alpestre, Jlnacampseros, 

 T{hodiola, villosum, Semperv. alpinum, arachnoideum, Gau- 

 dini, tectorum, Wulfeni, would be representative, but some 

 are inferior to foreigners such as Sed. sempervivum, brevi- 

 folium, kamtsckancum , and Semperv. Laggeri, speciosum, 

 Wilsonianum. 



Sedum 



Eng.: Stonecrop; Fr.: Orpin; Ger.: Fcttblatt. 



Calyx with 5, rarely 4 or 6-8 sepals; petals always as 

 many; stamens 10, rarely 4-5 or 12-16, generally in two 

 ranks; flowers in corymbiferous cymes or terminal panicle; 

 leaves thick, fleshy, flat or cylindrical. 



