ORPINE, in botany: A genus of the pen- tagynia order, belonging to the decandra clas of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 14th or- der, Succulenta. The calyx is quinquifid; the corolla is pentapetalous, pointed, and spreading; there are five nectariferous squamae or scales at the base of the ger- men. The capsules are five.

The species are 20 in number. 1. The Verticilla- tum; 2. Telephium; 3. Anacamptos; 4. Aizoon; 5. Hybricum; 6. Populifolium; 7. Stellatum; 8. Ce- paea; 9. Libanoticum; 10. Dafyphyllum; 11. Re- flexum; 12. Rupestris; 13. Lineare; 14. Hifpanicum; 15. Album; 16. Acre; 17. Sexangulare; 18. Annum;

Villosum; 20. Atratum. The following species are the most remarkable.

1. The telephium, common orpine, or live-long, hath a perennial root, composed of many knobby tubercles, ending up erect, round, succulent stalks, branching half a yard or two feet high, garnished with oblong, plane, ferrated, succulent leaves, and the stalks terminated by a leafy corymbus of flowers, of different colours in the varieties. This species is an inhabitant of woods and dry places in England, &c., but has been long a resi- dent of gardens for variety and medical use. 2. The anacamptos, or decumbent evergreen Italian orpine, hath a fibrous perennial root, decumbent or trailing stalks, wedge-shaped entire leaves, and the stalks ter- minated by a corymbus of purple flowers. 3. The rupestris, rock fedum, or stone-crop of St Vincent's rock, hath slender, trailing, purple stalks; short, thick, awl- shaped, succulent, glaucous leaves in clusters, quinqueta- riously imbricated round the stalks, and the stalks ter- minated by roundish cymose bunches of bright yellow flowers. It grows naturally on St Vincent's rock near Bristol, and other rocky places in Europe. 4. The aizoon, or Siberian yellow orpine, hath a tuberculate, fibrous, perennial root; many upright, round, succulent, stalks, a foot high; lanceolate, plane, ferrated, thick- ish leaves; and the stalks terminated by a clove-fitting cymose cluster of bright yellow flowers. 5. The re- flexum, reflexed small yellow fedum, or prick-madam, hath a slender fibrous perennial root; small trailing su- cculent stalks, garnished with thick, awl-shaped, succu- lent leaves sparingly, the lower ones recurved, and the stalks terminated by reflexed spikes of bright yellow flowers. It grows naturally on old walls and buildings in England, &c. 6. The acre, acid fedum, common stone-crop of the wall, or wall-pepper, hath small fibry roots, very slender succulent stalks four or five inches high, very small, suboval, gibbous, erect, alternate leaves, close together, and the stalks terminated by trifid cy- mose bunches of small yellow flowers. This sort grows abundantly on rocks, old walls, and tops of buildings, almost everywhere, which often appear covered with the flowers in summer. 7. The hexangular, or hexangular stone-crop, hath a fibry perennial root; thick, short, succulent stalks; small, suboval, gibbous, erect leaves close together, arranged six ways imbrication, and the stalks terminated by bunches of yellow flowers. It grows on rocky and other dry places in England, &c. 8. The album, or white stone-crop, hath fibry perennial roots; trailing slender stalks, six or eight inches long; oblong, obtuse, fleshy, spreading leaves; and the stalks terminated by branchy cymose bunches of white flowers. This grows on old walls, rocks, and buildings, in Eng- land, &c. 9. The hifpanicum, or Spanish fedum, hath fibrous perennial roots, crowned with clusters of taper, acute, succulent leaves; slender succulent stalks, four or five inches high, garnished also with taper leaves, and terminated by downy cymose clusters of white flowers.

All these species of fedum are hardy herbaceous su- cculent perennials, durable in root, but mostly annual in stalk, &c., which, rising in spring, flower in June, July, and August, in different sorts; the flowers consisting universally of five spreading petals, generally crowning the stalks numerously in cymose and cymose bunches and spikes, appearing tolerably conspicuous, and are succeeded by plenty of seeds in autumn, by which they may be propagated, also abundantly by parting the roots, and by slips or cuttings of the stalks in summer; in all of which methods they readily grow and spread very fast into tufted bunches: being all of succulent growth, they consequently delight most in dry soils, or in any dry rubbishy earth.

Uses. As flowering plants, they are mostly employed to embellish rock-work, ruins, and the like places, planting either the roots or cuttings of the shoots in a little mud or any moist soil at first, placing it in the crevices, where they will soon root and fix themselves, and spread about very agreeably. For economical purposes, the reflexum and rupestris are cultivated in Holland and Germany, to mix with lettuce in salads. The wall-pepper is so acrid, that it blistered the skin when applied externally. Taken inwardly, it excites vomiting. In scurvy cases and quartan agues, it is said to be an excellent medicine under proper management. Goats eat it; cows, horses, sheep, and swine, refuse it.