238 
THE PRINCIPLES OF BOTANY. 
apostles, two of them absent, Peter who denied and Judas 
who betrayed our Lord; and the wicked hands of His per¬ 
secutors are seen in the digitate leaves of the plant, and the 
scourges in the tendrils.* But setting aside superstition, 
it must he admitted that the Passiflora are very beautiful 
both in form and colour, while some of them possess a most 
fragrant perfume. It is said that the fruit of many species 
is highly agreeable, but though it often ripens in this country 
even against a sunny wall, we have never tasted the fruit of 
any species that could tempt us to eat one, and we, therefore, 
cannot recommend them for the dessert. 
3. Violet worts are well known from the spurred flowers 
of the violet and pansy which are among the commonest 
flowers both of the field and of the garden, those of the 
former possessing just those qualities which make them 
capable of adaptation to the florist’s wants from the delicious 
perfume possessed by many of them, and the charming varia¬ 
tions both in colour and form which they can be made to 
assume. 
The Violese belong to Europe, Asia, and America, and 
some or other of the forms have a medicinal reputation 
wherever they occur. They are more or less emetic in their 
roots, while the flowers are reputed laxative. 
The tincture or infusion of the flowers of blue violets are 
employed by the chemist as tests, acids changing the blue to 
red, and alkalies to green. 
4. The House-leek .—As represented by the Sempervivums , 
Sedums and others forms a most interesting natural order, 
most of which are small but curious thick-leaved plants which 
attach themselves to rocks and other dry situations. 
The Sedums or Stonecrops are so called from their growing 
upon stones and old walls. They are considered as cooling 
and refrigerant, on account of the quantity of watery juices 
which their thick leaves contain. At the same time the 
Sedum acre receives its specific name from the biting nature 
of its juice, from which the plant has got the name of wall- 
pepper. Again, acting upon the doctrine of signatures, our 
country people use these plants in arthritic complaints, as 
from their growing in stony places they are supposed to 
he capable of breaking up calculi. 
But the most interesting example of the acting upon this 
doctrine that we have met with is that of the employment of 
the leaves of Cotyledon umbilicus , wall pennywort or navel- 
wort by the rustics in weakness of the bowels. 
P. 850. 
