162 THE ORASSULA FAMILY, [Sedum — 
of a pure white or slightly pink, rather small and numerous, in elegant ter- - 
minal cymes or corymbs. Sepals short, oval, and obtuse. Petals nearly 
three times as long, oblong and obtuse. 
_ On old walls, rocks, cottage roofs, etc., over the greater part of Europe 
and Russian Asia, except the extreme north. In Britain perhaps truly 
indigenous in the Malvern Hills and in Somersetshire; and Mr. Carrol 
reports that a variety with short thick leaves is found on the south coast of 
Ireland, near Cork ; in other places where the species has been observed, it 
had probably been introduced from gardens. Fl. swmmer. 
6. S. vilosum, Linn. (fig. 365). Hazry Sedum.—An annual, with 
erect, nearly simple stems, 3 to 4 inches high ; the upper part of the plant 
always more or less covered with short, viscid hairs, like S. dasyphyllum. 
Leaves more than twice, often 4 or 5 times, as long as thick, alternate or 
scattered. Flowers few, of a pale, rather dingy rose-colour, in a small, 
rather loose, terminal cyme. Sepals ovate and green. Petals ovate, about 
twice as long as the calyx. 
In bogs and along stony rills, in the mountains of western, central, and 
northern Europe, frequent in northern England and the Scotch Highlands, 
but not recorded from Ireland. 7. summer. 
7, S.acre, Linn. (fig. 366). Biting Sedum, Wall-Pepper.—Tufts 
perennial and procumbent, consisting of numerous short barren stems, and 
erect or ascending flowering branches, from 1 to 2 or 3 inches high ; the 
whole plant quite glabrous, assuming a yellowish tinge, and biting to the 
taste when chewed. Leaves small, thick, ovoid, or sometimes nearly glo- 
bular, those of the barren shoots usually closely imbricated in six rows. 
Flowers of a bright yellow, in small terminal cymes. Sepals very short. 
Petals much longer, narrow-oblong and pointed. 
On walls and rocks, in stony and sandy places, throughout Europe and 
Russian Asia, from the Mediterranean to the Arctic regions. Abundant in 
Britain. £1. summer. 
8. S.sexangulare, Linn. (fig. 367). Tasteless Sedum.—Very near 
S. acre, and by some considered as a mere variety, differing only by the 
more slender leaves, several times longer than thick, and by the flavour said 
to be less acrid. 
A rather scarce plant, scattered over central and eastern Europe. Indi- 
cated in some parts of England, especially on old walls, in some of the 
eastern counties, but it is not indigenous. V7. summer. 
9, S.rupestre, Linn. (fig. 368). Rock Seduwm.—Stock perennial and 
creeping, with numerous short barren shoots, 1 to 3 inches long ; the ter- 
minal flowering stems ascending or erect, 6 inches to a foot high. Leaves 
linear-lanceolate, acute, flattened, and more or less extended at the base 
below their point of insertion into a short spur. Flowers yellow, consider- 
ably larger than in the other British species, forming a terminal cyme of 
4 or 5 to 7 or 8 recurved branches, each bearing from 3 to 5 or 6 sessile 
flowers. Sepals short and ovate ; the petals twice as long, and linear, 
On old walls and stony places, in temperate and southern Europe, ex- 
teuding northwards to southern Sweden. In Britain, it is undoubtedly wild 
in several of the southern and western counties of England, Wales, and in 
Ireland, but has besides established itself in many places where it hag 
escaped from cultivation. #7. summer. A slight variety has been distin. 
