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60 



MR. ?T. E. BROWN- ; KEW AND OLD 



cohered with pollen emittino- pollen-tubes, some of which can he distinctly 

 traced penetrating the tissue of the stigmas. Yet in no case have the plants 

 produced capsules or seeds. I do not know if this is a new observation, but 

 I do not happen to have seen it recorded. Where, however, I have happened 

 to have two distinct plants (i. ^., raised from^two separate seeds) of the same 

 species in flower at the same time, and have cross-fertili/.ed them, the forma- 

 tion of fruit readily followed. I believe hybridization is also very common 

 in this genus. It certainly occurs among species cultivated in this country, 

 so that I see no reason why it should not occur in South Africa, although 

 Dr. Marloth, a keen observer of South African plants growing under r.ahiral 

 conditions, holds a different opinion I believe, see his Address to the South 

 African As^<)ciation for the Advancement of Science, given at Kimberley 

 in 1014, p. 20, published in the 'South African Journal of Science' for 



that year. . ' 



As T herein propose to make some changes in the groups or sections to 



which the species here described are refcrre.l, an explanation Js necessary. 

 As previously stated, most of the new species belong to what is universally 

 known as the Sphfcroid group. But this group, as constituted in the most 

 recent monogrnph of the genus (Bergcr, ' Mesembryanthemen und Por- 



listinct types, and 



280) 



in the older monographs, later than the works of Haworth, two distmct 

 types, of which the majority do not belong to the Splucroid group at all, in 

 the sense that Haworth intended when he founded that section, but to the 



The section 



siones Planturuin. 

 hich until 1907, 



oroup to which he gave the sectional name of AUnima. 



Sphceroidea was founded 



Succulcntariiin,' 



84) 



Huwortl 



( 



* - 



.■emained the only known species that properly belonged to that section as 

 defined by Haworth. Yet all other authors seem to have misunderstood 

 M. mmforme and faileil to recognise its characteristics, so that a few years 

 ago it was re-described by Miss Kensit under the name of M. cryptojnKUum. 

 Tills plant Is allied to AL Ul'isha; N. E. 13r., Af. qvo'sUum, N. K. Br, and 

 allied species, one of which (d/. hilohvm, Marl.) has been erected by Berger 



into a distinct s 



Uformki) by itself; ^v^lilst J/, nucifi 



only a dwarfer, more spherical, and more shortly bilobed plant of the same 

 type, is included among the species of the M'lnlmvm type under the section 

 Sjjhirroidea. AL nuciforme died out of cultivation, and no other species of 

 that type became known until a few years ago, so thtit from some mistaken 

 conception of it the sectional names Aliniina and SjjI ' ' 



together'and that of Sphccroidea adopted to cover both typos, but in practice 

 it was really understood to include only the Mnfmum type. Therefore, as. 

 the plants 'originally grouped . by Haworth under the sectional name of 

 Minhna are now universally known as the Sphfcroid group, I propose that 



