^J 



^ T T , 



t 



I 1 



SrECIES OF MESEMBRYAXTHEMUM. 



83 



Plant nearly stemless, brandling at tlie base and forniino- clumps 6-8 cm. 



eaves 2-4 to each growtb according to season, erect or tlie 



high. 



outer pair more or less spreading, (lie alteriiatini> 



si 



g pairs often dissimilar in 



size and thickness, equal 



broad and 7-9 mm. thick at the base, whence, viewed from a])ove, tliey 



or siiyhtlj unequal, 3^-0 cm. long, 9-14 mm. 



gradually taper to an acute or subacute apex, and in sid 



e view are o£ equal 



thickness throughout or sliglitly dilated at the apex, which is obtuse and 

 a])iculate or one leaf of a pair is acute, flat above, very convex and very 

 obtusely keeled on the back at the basal part and at the apical part sub- 

 acutely keeled and'soine of tlie leaves very much compressed there, otluu-sless 

 so, united at the base into a eylindric body 15-25 mm. lono- and 10-15 mm. 

 thick ; surface smooth, glabrous, very i^ale glaucous-green or whitish-oTcen, 

 thickly sprinkled on the back and sides and sometimes, but not always, 

 sparingly so on the upper surface with darker green pellucid dots, which 



usually more or less prominent, at least on the youno- 



along the keel are 



^ .. ....^.,Ay norny semi- 



growths, and at the apical part of the keel formino- a slio-htlv 1 

 transparent edge. Flowers not seen. 



Origin unknown. 



Described and figured from a living plant. I believe that this plant is 

 rather widespread in gardens, but I liave no information as to its origin, and 

 am inclined to think that it may be a hybrid between II. rostratum, Linn, 

 and M. tuherculaium, Mill, raised from seeds produced in Europe, especially 

 as some plants that I have seen and believe to be the same had their heaves 

 very much less compressed than in the plant I have figured, yet otherwise 

 quite the same. I have therefore dealt with the lilant in this wav, so that if 

 found in South Africa it mav be recon-nized. 



M. PURPURASCENS, Salm-Dyck (PL 8. fig. 28). Nearly or quite stemless, 



suberect, (1-8 cm. long, 10-M mm. 



branching at the base. Leavers erect oi 



broad and 7-8 mm. thick at the base, flat on the upper side and gradually 

 tapering from the base to a subacute or subobtuse apex, rounded on the back 

 except at tlie apical part, where they are obtusely keeled, in side view of 



about equal thickness throughout and obtuse at the ap 



or shortly tapering 



to an acute point, united at the base into a eylindric body or sheath 

 10-15 mm. long ; surf;ice smooth, glabrous, light bluish-green, when fully 

 exposed to the sun becoming more or less suffused with purple at tlie base 

 and the apical part often bluer, dotted all over the back (but nut on the flat 



upper surface) with dark 



green. 



Flowers unknoAvn. 



) 



AL purpurasceuii 



J 



M 



Bonder in FJ. Cap. vol, ii. p. 395 ; Berber, 



South Africa. Locality and collector unknown. 



( 



The abovc^lescription is made partly from an original drawino- at Kew 



on 



PI. 8), labelled ^' Meaemh. purpurascens,l\-ci\\'. Received from 



