Saxifraga. | XXXII. SAXIFRAGACEA. 169 
highest of the Bohemian. Not uncommon in the Scotch mountains, 
and found also, but much more sparingly, in the Lake districts of 
northern England, in North Wales, and on Ben Bulben, in Ireland. 
Fl. summer. 
11. S. stellaris, Linn. (fig. 386). Star S.—A perennial, but the 
stock is small, and has often an annual appearance ; it is crowned by 
1 or more tufts of spreading leaves, rather thin, varying from oblong 
to obovate, with a few coarse teeth, and tapering at the base. When 
luxuriant these tufts are elongated into leafy branches of 1 or 2 inches. 
Stems erect, 3 to 6 inches high, leafless, except a small, leafy bract 
under each pedicel. Flowers from 2 to 3 or 8 to 10, rather small, white 
and starlike, on slender, spreading pedicels, forming a loose terminal 
panicle. Calyx free almost to the base, the segments closely reflexed 
on the pedicel. Petals narrow and spreading. Capsule rather large, 
with 2 diverging beaks. 
On wet rocks, and along rivulets and springs, in all the mountain- 
ranges of Europe, Russian Asia, from the Mediterranean to the Arctic 
regions, and also in northern America. Frequent in the mountains of 
North Wales, Ireland, and Yorkshire, and throughout Scotland. 
12. S. umbrosa, Linn. (fig. 387). London-pride, St. Patrick's Cabbage, 
None-so-pretty.— Perennial stock shortly branched, crowned by the 
spreading leaves, forming dense tufts, which in our gardens will attain 
near a foot in diameter. Leaves rather thick and leathery, usually 
olabrous, obovate, an inch or more in length, bordered with cartilaginous 
crenatures or coarse teeth, and narrowed at the base into a short, more 
or less flattened stalk, ciliated at the edges. Stems erect, leafless, 6 
-inches to a foot high. Flowers small, pink, elegantly spotted with a 
darker colour, in a loose, slender panicle. Calyx free, with short 
segments closely reflexed on the pedicel. Petals much longer, ovate 
or oblong, and spreading. 
In shady places, in Portugal, western Spain, and the higher Pyrenees, 
and reappearing in western and south-western Ireland. Cultivated 
from an early period in our gardens, and has established itself in some 
localities in northern England and western Scotland. FV. early summer. 
13. S. Geum, Linn. (fig. 888). Kidney S.—Closely allied to S. um- 
brosa in its habit and flowers, this species only differs in its leaves, 
which are orbicular, usually notched or cordate at the base, with long 
stalks, less flattened than in the last species, and usually very hairy ; 
the leaves themselves also have often a few scattered hairs on both 
surfaces. 
The geographical range is the same as that of the S. wmbrosa, but it 
appears generally to prefer lower altitudes. In Britain it is confined to 
the mountains of Kerry and Cork. J. early summer. Specimens in 
some measure intermediate between this and the last species, with the 
leaves orbicular or nearly so, but not cordate, and the stalk somewhat 
flattened, have been gathered near Killarney. They have been published 
as species, under the names of SS. hirsuta, Linn. and S. elegans, Mackay, 
whilst others consider them as hybrids. In favour of the latter sup- 
position there appears to be but little evidence, and they are probably 
mere varieties of S. wmbrosa. [The late Mr. Ball, who knew the Irish 
forms well,regarded S. hirsuta, L.,as a hairy form of wmbrosa, with sharply- 
toothed leaves, round or obtuse at the base ; and S. elegans, Mackay, also 
