CLASS V. OrvDEK u. 1 SILAUS. 383 



Habitat. — Rocky sea coasts ; not unfieqiient iu the North of 

 England and Scotland. 

 Perennial; flowering in July. 



The root, as well as the whole plant, has an acrid aromatic flavour, 

 with a somewhat nauseous taste. In the island of Skye it is called 

 Shimis, and is said to be eaten both in a crude fand boiled state ; but 

 though probably wholesome, it is not palatable to most strangers. 



GENUS LXVII. SILA'US.— Besser. Pepper Saxifrage. 



Gen. Char. Calyx margin obsolete. Petals obovate, oblong, entire, 



or somewhat notched with an inflexed point, at the base either 



sessile or with an appendage. Fruit roundish. Carpels with 



five sharp equal somewhat winged ridges, the lateral ones forming 



the margins. Channels with many vittce. Albumen nearly 



round. General involucre of few segments, or wanting, partial 



numerous. — Name of doubtful origin. 



1. S. pra'tensis, Besser. (Fig. 445.) Meadow Pepper Saxifrage. 



Stem angular; leaves tri-pinnate; leaflets entire, linear, lanceolate, 



w ith a bristle point, or bi-partite, the terminal one tri-partite ; general 



involucre of one or two segments. 



Hooker, British Flora, vol. i. p. 133. — Lindley, Synopsis, p. 118. — 

 Pcucedanum Silaiis. — English Botany, t. 2142. — Cnidlum Silaus. — 

 English Flora, vol. ii. p. 91 . 



Root tapering, fleshy, crowned by the withered remains of the old 

 leaves. Stem erect, branched, frequently from the base, angular, 

 somewhat furrowed and striated, smooth, purplish, especially near the 

 joints and lower part, solid, from one to two feet high. Leaves mostly 

 radical, on longish striated footstalks, dilated at the base, the lower 

 ones three or four times pinnated, paler on the under side, the mid- 

 rib and somewhat obtuse margin rough, with minute hairs, leaflets 

 opposite, simple, linear, lanceolate, entire, with a fine bristle point, or 

 once or twice deeply cleft, separate at the base, or united, the upper 

 leaves much smaller than the lower. Umbels terminal and lateral, the 

 (/enemZ of about eight irregular angular ray*, the partial much more 

 numerous. General involucre of one or two linear segments, some- 

 times wanting, partial of numerous narrow linear ones. Flowers 

 numerous, white, or pale yellow. Calyx an obsolete margin. Petals 

 oblong, slightly notched, rolled inwards with an obtuse inflexed point, 

 tapering at the base into a short claw, and with a mid-rib and two 

 slender lateral ones. Stamens with long slender filaments and rather 

 large ovate anthers. Styles straight, spreading. Stigmas obtuse. 



