1875 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
225 
pretty; the flower is made very irregular by 
having two of its petals thrice the length of 
the others, and hanging directly downwards, 
while the other three are erect; the long petals 
are white, and the short ones a delicate pink,with 
some darker spots of the same, and an orange- 
Chinese OR BEEFSTEAK saxifrage. —(Saxifraga sarmentosa.) 
plants of the proper thick-leaved family, the 
Crassulacece, better known perhaps as the Stone- 
crop Family. The botanical name of the fam¬ 
ily is from that of one of its genera Crassula, 
which is named from the Latin word crassus, 
thick, and it is not stretching the use of words, 
thick-leaved plants. —(Crassula cordata.) 
here south of New York. A few years ago 
we left it out upon a rock-work, and the winter 
happening to be an unusually mild one, it sur¬ 
vived. Like many other plants that have been 
a long time in cultivation as house-plants, this 
has received a number of common names; 
colored spot at the base of each. The engrav¬ 
ing shows very correctly the shape of the 
flowers, and their arrangement in the cluster. 
The plant propagates itself in the same manner 
as the strawberry, by throwing off long, weak 
stems, which form a bud at the end, which de¬ 
velops into a new plant. These runners are in 
botanical language sarments , hence this species 
is named Saxifraga sarmentosa ; the runners 
are very much more slender than in the straw¬ 
berry, being exceedingly fine and thread-like. 
The buds formed on the runners, when they 
come in contract with the soil, at once take 
root, but when the plant is grown in a suspend¬ 
ed basket or vase, being unable to reach any 
soil, they grow to a considerable size, being fed 
by the old plant, and at length put out runners 
of their own, and frequently this will be re¬ 
peated several times, presenting a very interest¬ 
ing appearance. This manner of growth is 
illustrated in the engraving given on the pre¬ 
ceding page; about half size. The plant 
is not only suited for hanging baskets by its 
pendulous habit, but by its hardiness, is use¬ 
ful for both in-door and out door baskets; 
many plants otherwise well adapted for bas¬ 
kets, are very delicate, and do not flourish un¬ 
der the neglect to which out-door baskets are 
often subjected, and it stands occasional drying 
out, as well as sudden cold or even frosts. It 
is hardy in England, and would probably be so 
that of “ Beefsteak Saxifrage,” or “ Beefsteak 
Geranium,” would appear to have been given 
on account of the color of the under side of 
the leaves; “ Strawberry Geranium,” has refer¬ 
ence to its running like the strawberry; 
“ Wandering Jew,” and“ Sailor-plant,” indicate 
its traveling propensities, and “ Mother of 
Thousands,” its prolific character; besides these 
there are other popular names not just now 
recalled. A very handsomely marked plant, 
sold as S. tricolor , may be a variety of this; it 
has a similar habit, and its leaves finely marked 
with white, green, and red, but the markings 
are not permanent. 
— » « »«- - * «■ -- - 
Succulents—Thick-Leaved Plants. 
Horticulturists include in the class of suc¬ 
culents, plants belonging to very different fam¬ 
ilies; the French in flantes grasses —fat or fleshy 
plants—do the same; any classification founded 
upon one character only, brings together very 
unlike plants, and we find the succulents are 
as miscellaneous a lot, as would be a group of 
red-berried plants. So we find in the catalogues 
Cactuses, Agaves, Yuccas, Euphorbias, Sedums, 
and others, which are more unlike botanically, 
than are roses and cabbages, classed as succu¬ 
lents. Our intention is to say a word, not 
about all the succulents, but only about some 
to call it the “ Thick-leaved Family.” Those 
who have not given especial thought to the 
matter, can not be aware of what a wonderful 
organ the leaf is, and how beautifully it is ar¬ 
ranged to meet the requirements of the plant in 
different climates and situations. The leaves 
of plants generally are covered with a thin, im¬ 
pervious skin, or epidermis, in which there are 
innumerable little mouths (stomata) or breath¬ 
ing holes, so arranged that they open or close, 
according to the state of the atmosphere; if 
the air is very dry, they close up tight, and 
thus prevent undue evaporation. The plants 
of hot and dry countries have their leaves 
especially arranged to prevent evaporation for 
the greater part of the time; they are thick 
and succulent, and hold during the dry sea¬ 
son the moisture they have taken up during 
the brief season of rains ; a microscopic exami¬ 
nation of the leaves of the Aloes and Euphor¬ 
bias of the sunburnt plains of Africa, or the 
Cactuses of the arid table lands of the interim 
of our own continent, shows how admirably 
they are fortified to stand a siege of drouth 
When wc examine the leaves of the thick 
leaved plants, which are not rare in the tern 
perate regions, and find that they have a simi 
lar provision against evaporation, and are ii 
some cases quite as well provided against th 
drouth, as those in the rainless regions, we ma 
think that there is a mistake. But we als 
