V I 



^ 



Sl'ECIES OF MESEMBRYANTHEMUM. 



Ill 



iV. pygmcvinn^ Haw. SuppL p, 98 (not 90 us quoted byautliors); & liev. 

 p. 134: Beroer, Mesomb, p, 110, AL pigimrum^ Sonder in FL Cap* vol. ii. 

 p. 425 (description very bad), M. cigar ettifer am ^ Berger in Engl, Jalii-b. 



vol. xlv. p. 225 (1910). 



Worcester and Laixgsburg Div, Karoo beyond Hex Hiver, Hehmann^ 

 289G ! and in flerh. Bolus^ 5(j47 ! Maljesfoiitcin, MacOwan, 331G ! Brunn- 



thaler ! 



This curious little plant was discovered and introJucod by Bowie about 

 one hundred years ago^ according to an original drawing at Kew of a type 

 plant, which is labelled ^'^ Mesembr. pi/guurum^ Haw. liaised from seeds in 



1817 collected 



M 



Ha worth correctly describes 



its 



peculiar mode of growth^ but places it iji his section MicropltfjUa^ wdiilst 

 Berger has referred it to the section Bostellata ; yet tlicre is no s])ecies in 

 either of these grou[JS that resembles it in any way either in habit or 

 appearance. Its peculiar mode of growth is almost identical with that of the 



¥ 



it should be placed next that groiipj from Avhicli 



it differs by its dwarf tufted habit and small size, smooth (not papillate) 

 leaves, and conspicuous pellucid dots; the flowers n)ay also differ, but I huve 

 not seen those of eitlun- group. Therefore, as sections are maintained for 



o 



(p. r>2) 



the 



its reception. Judging from llie dried specimens seen, it does not flower 



very freely under natural conditions, and^ although I have watched it for 

 very many years, I have never seen it flower under cultivation. 



M. clgarettiferum, HQv^eVy is described from a plant of AI, jv/gnurvm at 

 the ])eriod when the spreading leaves have not fully withered^ whilst the 

 conical terminal bodies have dried up into whitish bugs of papery consistence 

 containing a new pair of free leaves. 



§ MONILIFORMIA. 



■ 



This remarkable section is characterized by Haworth in his 'Kevisiones' 

 p, 93, and previous works as follows ; — Deciduous^ leafless in summer, with 



cm.) 



nodose-beaded or necklace-shaped branching stems 1-3 inches (2i^--7^ 

 lono^. Leaves 4 each year to each branchlet; the two prinmry connate 

 nearly to the tips or constantly truncate at the sheaths; the two followin 



cjr 



elongated 



5 



1-G inche 



(2^-15 cm.) long, united at the base, witherinc- 



deciduous. Calvx or leaves crystalline-papillose. 



In his ' Miscellanea/ p 



23, 1 



le 



o-ives- the 



following account of th 



e 



r 



peculiar mode of growth of this group : — " At the approach of warm weathc 

 in spring, their leaves all decay, their vegetative faculties appear perfectly 

 at a stand, and they seem more dead than alive until the following autumn ; 

 when they send forth from every oxtrendty one or two pairs of the short 



