T »r:~ ^'" ^' ' \ '^Ti 



i- 



SPECIES OF MESEMBRYANTHEMUM. 



63 



With the exception of those discovered by Burchellj I have arranged the 

 .species alphabetically under each section and nKiintin'ned the sectional name 

 given to ench group by Haworth, Avhieh is not always the .^anie as that used 

 by Sunder and by Berger, As no sati.sfaetory arrangement of the sections 

 exists, for convenience of reference I have here arranged ihe sections alpha- 

 betically under two primary headings according to whether the species haye 

 an erect or |)rostrate stem with distant leaf-pairs, or are quite stemless or 

 with crowded leaves on very short more or less decumbent stems. The 

 species discovered by Burchell arc all placed together at the end in 

 alphabetical order, with the section to which they belong indicated under 

 the name. 



Under the Splueroid and allied groups the term ^^growths" or '^corpuscula'' 

 are used to indicate the separate bodies, heads^ or offsets into which the plant 

 may be divided. In reality they are all se[)arate branches, but often do not 

 liave that appearance. 



A Bibliography and abbreviations will bo found on p. 138 at the end of the 

 descriptions. 



In conclusion J I have much pleasure in gratefully acknowledging the very 

 efficient help T have received from Mrs. L. Bolus, Mr. J. Burtt Davy, 

 Mr. W. J. DoreCj Mi\ G. Elisha, Dr. F. H. Rodier Heath, the authorities at 

 Kew, Dr. It. Marloth, Messrs. Eustace and N. S. Tillans, Dr. I, B. Pole 

 Evans, and Mr, E. Taylor, to whom I offer my very sincere thanks for the 

 material and infornuition they \vd\o so freely accorded, w^hich has enabled 

 me to make the following descrij)tions much more complete than they 

 otherwise would be. 



I. — Stemless, or if with very dwarf branching; stems then without distinct 

 intervals of stem (internodes) between the leaf-pairs. (To p. 103.) 



§ ACUTA. 



M. DiMiNUTUMj Hait\ (PL 7. fig- 24). Nearly stemless, branching at the 

 base and forming a tnft. Leaves crowded, equal, ascending or suberect^ 

 finally recurving (according to the figure about 3 Cm. long, 4 mm. broad, 

 and 3o-4 mm. thick at the base), linear-subulate or semicylindric at the base 

 and obsoletely triquetrous at the apex, shortly united at the base, flat above 

 and gradually tapering from the base to a very acute apex, which is furnished 

 with a short ^^hite point, soft ; surface smoothj shining, glancous-green, 

 dotted, but not roughly so, and with numerous moderate-sized dots on the 



t 



upper surface when held to the light. ■ Peduncle about 3 inches (7^ cm.) 

 long, cylindrie, glabrous^ with 2 bracts at its base. Calyx 5-lobed ; lobes 

 unequal, acute, the 2 larger leaf-like, the. 3 smaller with more or less mem- 

 branous margins, Petals about an inch (25 nun.) long, linear, obtuse, at 

 length revolute, reddish. Stamens nunierous, erect; filaments purplish; 



