170. — Luxf. Reig. FI. p. 42. — Leighton’s Flora of Shropshire, p. 305. — Mack. Cat. 
of PI. of Xrel. p. 47. ; FI. Hihern. p. 62 . — Sempervivnm mc\jus, Ray’s Syn. p. 
269. — Johns. Ger. p. 510 . — Sedum tectorum. Scop. FI. C*rn. (2nd ed. ) p. *25. 
Localities. — O n walls, and cottage roofs, frequent, hut perhaps not properly 
indigenous. 
Perennial. — Flowers from June to September. 
Root branched, fibrous. Leaves numerous, in tufts somewhat 
resembling a full-blown double rose, oblong, pointed, keeled, very 
succulent, the margins fringed with hairs, and generally tinged with 
red ; the outer ones largest, the inner ones gradually smaller. 
Offsets on long cylindrical, slightly downy footstalks or runners 
(sarmenta), globular, composed of upright leaves lying over each 
other. Flowering Stem from the centre of one of the rosaseous 
tufts of leaves, from 9 to 12 inches hisrh, upright, cylindrical, downy, 
clothed with many, alternate, sessile leaves, which are narrower and 
less succulent than the rest. Flowers large and handsome, of a 
pale rose-colour, in a terminal, many-flowered cyme, with spiked 
branches. Segments of the Calyx 12 or more, with a similar 
number of petals and stamens. Sir W. J. Hooker says, that 
“the number of stamens is in reality 24, of which 12, inserted 
one at the base of each petal, are perfect ; the rest alternating with 
the petals, small and abortive ; some bearing anthers, open longi- 
tudinally and laterally, producing, instead of pollen, abortive ovules! 
others resemble a cuneate pointed scale, in the inside of which, 
upon a longitudinal receptacle, are likewise ranged abortive ovules, 
in the same manner as in the real germen ; thus exhibiting the 
most complete transition from stamens to germens, in the same 
individual flower.” 
This plant is a native of Europe on rocks, and on the roofs of houses, but is 
considered to be not truly wild in England, though inserted in all the Floras. 
The juice of its leaves, either applied by itself, or mixed with cream, which is 
the best way of applying it, gives present relief in burns, and other external in- 
flammations; it is also said to cure corns. Mixed with honey it is a useful 
application in the thrush. The Dispensatory describes a beautiful white highly 
volatile coagulum, formed of the filtrated juice of the leaves, with an equal 
quantity of rectified spirit of wine. 
“ Sempervivnm tectorum is one of those species which are capable of growing 
in the most dry and exposed situations, often attracting its food from the atmos- 
phere much more than from the scanty source that its roots have access to. It 
is usually planted by being enclosed in a lump of moist clay, which is stuck upon 
the naked tiles of a cottage. In such a situation, the young plant first secures 
itself by putting forth a few roots into the clay, and then gives birth to a num- 
ber of little starry clusters of leaves, which surround their parent, and overshadow 
the place where the roots are to continue to develope ; in the first instance, pro- 
tecting it from the glare of the sun. and afterwards forming, by their decay, a 
soft vegetable mould, into which other roots may penetrate. They are enabled 
to effect this by the power which they, in common with all other plants, but in 
a higher degree, possess of abstracting from the atmosphere its impure air, or 
carbonic acid, which they convert fiom a gaseous into a solid state, by separat- 
ing the charcoal or sol idifiable portion, and liberating the vital air or oxygan that 
was combined with it. By this wonderous process, living plants become the 
great purifiers of the air we breathe, and it appears quite certain, that if it were 
not for them the earth would soon become so pestiferous asto be uninhabitable.” 
Lindley’s Ladies’ Botany * , v. ii. p. 106. 
* One of the most pleasing and instructive of Botanical books. 
