[ 5°° ]
S A X I F R A G A granulata.
White Saxifrage.
f i n
D E C A N D R I A Digynia,
G en. Char. Cal. 5-cleft. Petals 5. Caff, with two
beaks, one cell, and many feeds.
Spec. Char. Stem-leaves kidney-{haped, lobed. Stem
branched. Root granulated.
Syn. Saxifraga granulata. Linn. Sp. PI. 576. Hudf,
182. With. 405. Relh. 166. Sibth. 137. Curt.
Lond.fafc. 1. /. 30. £>/<?£/! H. Sicc.fafc. 5. 5.
S. rotundifolia alba. Rail Syn. 354.
T h i s p re tty S a x ifra g e , rendered confpicuous b y its brilliant
w h ite blofloms in the month o f M a y , g row s in dry paftures
and on ban k s, w h e re the fo il is g ra v e lly , but not v e ry frequently
, though w h e re it does o c cu r it is alw ay s in plenty. About
N o rw ic h it is fa r from r a r e ; ne ar L on d o n it is lefs common.
R o o t p e ren nial, o f fe v e ral little grains o r knobs, attached to
one main fib re , and th row in g out fm all fibres from their bafe.
S tem fo lita ry , e r e f t , branched and panicled above, le a fy , round,
c lo thed w ith v ifc id h a ir s, and o f a b row n o r reddilh hue, with
w h ich co lou r the le a ve s and c aly x-te e th are alfo tin g ed , giving
the wh ole herb a r ich and g low in g ap p e a ran c e : thefe parts are
alfo c lo thed w ith the fame kind o f hairs, e fp e c ia lly the calyx,
w h ich is v e ry c lamm y to the touch. T h e leaves are palmate
an d notched, fom ew h a t fle lhy , the radical ones on long foot-
ftalk s. Pe tals obovate, much long e r than the c a ly x , marked
w ith th re e branched ve in s. S tam in a all ne arly equal. Ger-
men in fe rio r. S t igm a s blunt and d ow n y .— I t is frequently
cultivated w ith double flow e rs.
T h i s p lan t has been recommended in the ftone and gravel,
be c au fe its g ranulated roots refemble fmall p e b b le s ; but not
beings w ith in the re a ch o f ev e ry b u n g lin g ap othecary or village
dodtrefs, its place has been cap ric iou fly fupplied by the Pirn-
pinella, t. 4 0 7 , w ith w h ich it has fcarce ly an y ch arac te r or prop
e r ty in common.