Sempervivum tectorum. Houseleek. 
SEMPERVIVUM Lin. Gen, Pl. Dodecandria Dodecagynia, CaL 12. partitus Pe/a/a 12. Cap- 
fulee 12. polyfperma;. 
Raii Syn. Gen. 17. Herb® multisiliqu® seu corniculat®. 
SEMPERVIVUM foliis ciliatis propaginibus patentibus. Linn, Syjl. Fegeiab. Sp. Pl. 
664. FL Suec. n. 428. 
SEMPERVIVUM rofulis glabris ciliatis, petalis conglutinatis, lanceolatis, hirfutis, quatuorclenis. 
Haller. h!/l. n, 949. 
SEDUM teftorum. ScopoU FI. Carn. n. 529. 
SEDUM majus vulgare. Bauhin. pin. 283. Parkinfon. 730. 
SEMPERVIVUM majus. Ger. emac. 510. Raii ^n. p. 269. Houfeleek. 
Hudfon. Flor. Angi. ed. 2. 'Lightftot. FI. Scot, p. 251. 
RADIX biennis, ramofa, plurimis fibrillis inftrufta. 
FOLIA radicalia in formam Rofse plen$ difpofita, 
feflilia, cuneiformia, plufquam pollicaria, car- 
nofa, crafla, fupra plana, fubtus convexiuf- 
cula, utrinque glabra, inferne albida, mar- 
gine ciliata, et fepius rubore tindla, acumi- 
nata, erefta, exteriora majora, interiora fen- 
fim minora. 
PROPAGINES longius petiolatse, globofe, magni- 
tudine ovi columbini vel ultra, flrobiliformes, 
imbricat® follis eredlis. 
PETIOLI propaginum cylindrici, teretes, ferruginei, 
lanuginofi, longius exporrefti, nudi, e bali ra- 
dicis prope folia, exeuntes. 
SCAPUS dodrantalis aut pedalis, ereflus, teres, lanu- 
ginofus, rubicundus, foliofus, apice ramofus, 
ramis floriferis patentibus, recurvis. 
FLORES plurimi, conferti, ere£U, fecundi, carnei. 
CALYX: Peranthium plerumque duodecemfidum, 
laciniis lanceolatis, hirfutis, ciliatis, vifcofis, 
apice purpureis. 
COROLLA : Petala duodecim et ultra, calyce du- 
plo longiora, lanceolata, carnea. 
STAMINA : Filamenta numero et figura maxime 
variantia, plerumque duodecim, fubulato-te- 
nuia ; Anther® fubrotundte, purpure®. 
PISTILLUM : Germina duodecim in orbem poflta, 
erefta, definentia in Stylos totidem patentes ; 
Stigmata acuta. 
PERICARPIUM : Capsul® oblong®, comprefl®, 
extrorfum acuminat®, introrium dehifcentes. 
SEMINA plurima, fubrotunda, parva. 
ROOT biennial, branched, and furnifhed with nume- 
rous fibres. 
LEAVES next the root difpofed in the form of a full 
blown double role, feflile, wedge-fhaped, 
fomewhat more than an inch long, flefhy, 
thick, above flat, on the under fide a little, 
convex, fmooth on both fides, beneath whi- 
tifh, the edges fringed with hairs, and gene- 
rally tinged of a reddifh colour, pointed, up- 
right, the outer ones largefi, the inner ones 
gradually fmalleft. 
OFFSETTS handing on long footftalks, globular, the 
fize of a pidgeon’s egg or larger, formed fome- 
tvhat like the cone of a pine, the leaves lay- 
ing one over another and upright. 
FOOTSTALKS of the ofHets cylindrical, round, iron- 
colour’d, flightly wooly, ftretching out to a 
confiderablc length, naked, fpringing from 
the bale of the root near the leaves. 
FLOWERING-STEM from nine inches to a foot in 
height, upright, round, wooly, of a reddifh 
colour, leafy, at top branched, the branches 
fuhaining the flowers, fpreading, and bend- 
ing back. 
FLOWERS numerous, crouded, upright, growing 
all one way, of a flefh colour. 
CALYX : aPERiANTHfuM divided ufually into twelve 
fegments, which are lanceolate, hirfute, edg- 
ed with hairs, clammy, and purplifh at top. 
COROLLA : twelve or more Petals twice the length 
of the calyx, lanceolate and flelh coloured. 
STAMINA : Filaments varying very much both in 
fhape and number, generally fourteen, flen- 
der and tapering ; Anther® roundifh and 
purple, 
PISTILLUM ; twelve Germina placed in a circle, 
upright, terminating in the fame number of 
fpreading Styles ; Stigmata pointed. 
SEED-VESSEL: numerous oblong Capsules, flat- 
ten’d, outwardly terminating in a point, and 
opening inwardly. 
SEEDS numerous, roundifh and fmall. 
Mr. Ray, in his Synopps, and Mr. Lightfoot, in his Flora Scotica doubt whether the Houfeleek be originally 
a native of this country, however that be, it is now fo common a plant on the houfe, or wall of every one "that is 
in the leaft fond of plants, that we fhall not apologize for introducing it among our London plants. 
Haller defcribes it among his SwiJJerland plants, and having gathered it on the Alps in its truly wild ftate, he 
enters very minutely into its defcription, and among other peculiarities he takes notice of the uncommon appear- 
ance which the Filaments often affume, and which is indeed fuch an appearance as would much puzzle an inex-' 
pcrienced Botanift, the Filaments as he truly obferves are of two kinds, the one perfect and fimilar to the generality 
of Filaments, the other even when young are evidently enlarged towards the end, and throw out from their fub- 
ftance little oblong white corpufcles like the eggs of fome inlea, which indeed I firfl: took them to be, not having 
then looked into Haller, but on examining a great number of flowers at different Rages of their growth I found 
they were common to many filaments, and that thofe filaments which were thus enlarged were alfo more glutinous 
than the others, the Anther® on their extremities were fomewhat imperfefl, as the fruRification proceeded towards 
maturity, the filaments continued to enlarge about the middle, while the top was drawn out to a kind of beak, 
indeed in this ftate they fecm to partake more of the nature of the Piftillum tlian of the Filaments, and for fucli 
would be liable to be taken, on cutting them through they appeared hollow and contained fome of the fame cor- 
pulcles which were obfervable on the outfides of many of them, fo that from their prefent appearance it was im- 
poffible to know that they were originally filaments, which may ferve as a caution to ftudents that in examining 
of flowers they ftiould always begin with fuch as are not expanded. Fid. i . 2. 3. 4. 6. 7, 8. 
HoufeleeV has been univerfally confidered as a cooler, the leaves bruifed, or its juice have been applied to burns, 
fpreading ulcerations, fiflures of the tongue, the piles, inflammations of the eye, &c. the juice mixt with a little 
alum and honey is recommended for the thrufh in children, and the leaves themfelves are frequently applied to 
corns. 
Linn®us informs us that this plant is a prefervative to the coverings of the houfes in Smoland, it certainly 
may with the leaft poffible trouble be made quickly to cover the whole roof of a houfe, whether that roof 
confifts of tiles, thatch, or wood, by flicking the ofFsetts on with a little earth or Cow Dung ; and if it fhould 
not be found to have the good efFeft here fpoken of, which I am by no means inclined to doubt, it forms at leaft a 
very pretty ornament on Barns, Stables, Out- Houfes and Walls, particularly in the month of July when it flowers. 
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