SPECIES or MESEMBRYANTHEMITM. 



85 



ros- 



short, white; anthers somewhat yellow. Stigmas 9, after fertilization us 

 long as the stamens, rovoliite at the tips, plumose on the inner side. — M. 

 tratoides, Haw. Obs. p. 154 (1794). M. ramuhsum, Ilaw. Misc. p. 29 

 (1803) ; Sjnop. p. 215 ; & Kev. p. 92 : Ait. Hort. Kew. ed. 2, vol. iii. 

 p. 217 : Bonder in Fl. Cap. vol. ii. p. 394. 



South AFitiCA. Locality unknown. Introduced by JiJasson in 1791. 



The above description is a combined translation of those given by Haworth 

 togetlier with characters taken from a drawing at Kew, labelled " Mesemlr. 



March 2Gth, 1825," of which a part is copied on PI. 7 



Ilu 



ave 



maintained the name Haworth originally gave to it, as there is no renson 

 evident or given for Its being subsequently changed by him. The " pustulate- 

 gibbous '' character or swelling at the base of the upper side of the leaves is 

 not a specific character of any of this group known to me, as it is common 

 to all of them and also to some species belonging to other groups, when a 

 new growtli or a flower is being formed, and remains afterwards. I have 

 not seen this species, and doubt if it is rightly placed in the section 



ROSTKATA. 



M. EOSTRATUM, Linn, (PI. 8. figs. 29-;U & PI. 9. fig. 32). Stemless or 

 nearly so, branching close to the ground and forming a clump with age. 

 Leaves normally 2-4 to each growth, 5-8| cm. long, 12-18 mm. bro.-id and 

 8-10 mm. thick at the lower part, ascending, more or less diverging except 

 when very young, sometimes curved to one side, sometimes straight, flat on 

 the upper side, wdiich gradually tapers from the base to an acute apex, 

 rounded on the back at the lower part, keeled at the apical part, united at 

 the base into a cylindric body or sheath 12-20 mm. long, and usually 

 15-20 (or on small growths about 10) mm. thick, which for part of the year 

 is Invested with the dried-up sheath of withered leaves, smooth, glabrous, 

 uniformly of a pale whitish-green or somewhat chalky-green, dotted with 

 darker green on ihe back, chiefly at the apical part and along the margins 

 and keel, but sometimes there are a few dots on the back towards the base ; 

 in winter the dots are scarcely evident, and usually none are visible on the 

 upper side, but if held against the sun or other strong light a thin sprinkling 

 of immersed pellucid dots are visible on both surfaces and on the basal as 

 well as the upper part of the leaves ; the keel at the apex is somewhat 

 pellucid and minutely ci-enulate or rough ; often the alternating pairs of 

 leaves are more or less different in form at their tips. Flowers unknown to 

 me, hut see note below— il/. rostratum, Linn. Sp. PI, ed. 1, p. 48(! (1753), 

 not of other authors. M. qvadrifidiim, Haw. Misc. p. 28 (1803) , Synop. 

 p. 212 ; & Rev. p. 91 : Ait. Hori. Kew. ed. 2, vol. iii. p. 2JG : Sender in 

 Fl. Cap. vol. ii. p. 394 : Berger, Mesemb. p. 257. AJ. rostrvm Ardew 

 referens, Dill. Hort. Elth. p. 240, t.«18G. fig. 229 (1732). 



South Africa. Locality unknown. Litroduced into cultivation before 

 1732 bynm unknown collector, and by Masson in 1795, 



LIKN. JOUUN. — BOTAiv^Y, VOL. XLV. 



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