440 



DOMESTIC BOTANY, 



in general capable of enduring great drought, and are thus 

 well adapted for rockwork. About a dozen are natives of 

 this country, S. granulata being a beautiful moist meadow 

 plant, flowering early in spring. The well-known London 

 Pride {S. umhrosa) is found in abundance in Ireland. The 

 pendulous or Bear's-ear Saxifrage (aS^. sarmentosd) is a 

 favourite window ornament ; it is a native of China, and 

 was introduced about one hundred years ago. 



The Australian Pitcher Plant {Cephalotus follicularis) is 

 considered by some botanists to be the type of a distinct 

 family called Cephalotacece ; but there is much difference of 

 opinion as to its affinity with other families; there ap- 

 pears good reason for considering it allied to the present. 

 It is a singular little plant, growing in the form of a rosette, 

 not exceeding 3 to 4 inches in diameter, having small, 

 narrow, spathulate leaves, alternate with which are foot- 

 stalks bearing small pitchers furnished with a lid attached 

 on the inner side, and resembling a saucepan or goblet, the 

 footstalk corresponding to the handle. The flowers are 

 small, and borne on an erect stalk 6 inches or more in height, 

 forming a spike. There is no corolla, but the calyx is 

 coloured and 6-parted, bearing 12 stamens. The fruit has 

 6 distinct carpels. It is a native of marshy places in King 

 George's Sound, Australia, and was first introduced to the 

 Eoyal Gardens, Kew, in 1823, but it continues to be a rare 

 plant and is considered a great curiosity. 



Another small family, consisting of a few Chilian species 

 called Francoacece, is also considered to be allied to Saxifra- 

 gacece. They consist of low frutlet- stemmed plants, having 

 soft villose, oblong or deeply lobed, almost winged leaves, 

 and straggling, branching flower-stems 2 to 3 feet in length, 

 bearing pretty white or pink flowers. Francoa ramosa, F. 

 appendiculata^ and F^ sonchifolia were introduced at Kew 

 nearly forty years ago. They are ornamental greenhouse 

 plants. 



