SAXIFRAGE FAMILY I 67 



or half-infenor, j-chambered ovary, with parietal placciilatioii, 

 numerous ovules, and 2 styles ; fruit of 2 follicles or united below 

 into a capsule. (Name in Latin signifying rock-breaker, many of 

 the species growing in crevices of rocks.) 



* Floii'ers purple 



I. ^. pppositifblia (Purple Mountain Saxifrage). — 1\ low-growing, 

 tufted, glabrous plant, with trailing stems ; small, opposite, and 

 dcGussate fleshy leaves : and relatively large, solitary, bright 

 purple floivers. — ^Vlpine rocks in the north. — Fl. April; ?\Iay. 

 Perennial. 



** Flowers crozi'ded, ivhite 



2- S. iiiz'dlls (Clustered Alpine Saxifrage). — An alpine plant, 

 3 — 6 in. high ; leaves all radical, obovate, crenate, thick, red 

 beneath ; /lozversr3.\.\\ex large, white, 4 — 12 together, in a compact 

 head. High mountains in the north ; rare. — Fl. July, August. 

 Perennial. 



*** Flo'i'ers ill loose evrnes zohite, witll t-d'o coloured dots 

 ou each petal. 



3. 5. stelldris (Starry Saxifrage). — *V mountain plant, 3 — 5 in. 

 high ; leaves in a rosette, scarcely stalked, pblong, wedge-shaped, 

 coarsely toothed ; flowers rather large, few, white, with two yellow 

 spots on each petal. — By mountain rivulets in the north. — Fl. 

 June, July. Perennial. 



4. ^. Geum (Kidney-shaped Saxifrage), with reniform, tufted 

 leathery, toothed leaves and small \;V\ie Jlo'coers dotted with pink. 



5. 5. liirsuta, more hairy, with oval leaves : and 



6. .S". umbrbsa (St. Patrick's Cabbage, London Pride, or Xone- 

 so-pretty), with obovate leaves, arc closely allied, rare species, 

 occurring on mountains in the west and south-west of Ireland. 

 The last is a well-known garden plant, making itself at home c^'en 

 in the smoky gardens of London, and occurs in many places as a 

 naturalised escape. — Fl. June. Perennial. 



***■' Flo'd'ers yellow 



7. 5. H'uruhis (Yellow !Marsh Saxifrage). — A handsome species, 

 about 6 in. high, with runners ; stem erect, branched, leafy, downy 

 above ; radical leaves in a rosette, lanceolate: ; cauline leaves linear ; 

 floiuers large, solitary, or nearly so, yellow, spotted with scarlet. — 

 Wet moors ; rare. — Fl. August. Perennial. 



S. S. aizdidcs (Yellow ^Mountain Saxifrage). — A smaller, more 

 tufted, prostrate and branched species ; leaves very narrow, fleshy, 



