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SPECIKS OF MESEMRUTANTHEMUM. 



119 



varieties 



TuLRAGH Div. New Kloof, near Tulbagh, MaeOwan I ScldecJder, 9045 ! 

 Scoti Elliot, 228 ! near Tulbagh Waterfall, Bolus, 5054 ! All three 

 were introduced before 1732. 



It is difficult to distino-uish the varieties from dried material, but I believe 

 Bolus 5051 represents the typical form and MiicOwan's specimen the 

 variety majus. 



§ PAEIFERA. 



M. BINUJI, i\^. 



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12). Suffrutcx circa 30-15 cm. 



mm. lonsis. 



altus, cruciatim ramosus. Rami ancipiti, internodiis 10-18 

 Folia 10-18 mm. longa, 5-9 mm. lata et 8-10 mm. crassa, ad.'^cendentia,"^ad 

 medium connata, compressa, trigona, supra leviter convexa,, dorso acute 

 carinata, e latere visu semilunata, subacnta, apiculata, microscopice pnberuln, 

 subcToruleo-viridia, pnrpureo-curinata. Flores non vidi, sed ex icone corolla 

 28-30 mm, diametro ; petala circa 30, lil)era, 12-13 mm. longa et 2^-3 mm. 

 lata, lincari-oblanceolata, obtusa. Stauiina collecta, 6 mm. lonca 



A dwarf rthrublet, ap])arcntly about 10-15 cm. high, branching in a cru- 

 ciate manner. Stem slightly compressed and 2-edged, about 4 mm. thick in 

 one direction and 3 mm tliiek in the other, with internodes 10-18 mm. lono- 

 at first green, becoming bi-own and woody with age ; branches spreading 

 4-7 cm. long in the specimens seen. Leaves 10-18 mm. long (measured from 

 the base at the back), 5-9 mm, broad and 8-10 mm. thick, laterally com- 

 pressed, ascending or ascending-spreading and united at the base for 7-9 mm. 

 of their total length, each leaf viewed from the side being somewhat lialf- 



ens 



moon-shaped, subacute or obtuse and minutely apiculate at the apex, slightly 

 convex or flattish on the upper surface, and viewed from above elongated 

 triangular or ovate in outline, acute, acutely keeled all down the back, and 

 with the ke<d continuing down the stem ; surface smooth, microscopically 

 puberulous, velvety to the touch, faintly bluish-green, dull purplish or 

 reddish along the cartilaginous keel, not dotted. Flowers not seen, but 

 according to a photograph representing a small plant of the natural size, the 

 corolla is 28-30 mm. in diameter, with about 30 petals free to the base, 

 12-13 mm. long and 2^-3 mm. broad, linear-oblanceolate, obtuse. Stam 

 numerous, collected into a bundle G mm. long, apparently of a dark colour 

 at the tips. 



Laingsburg Div. Near Matjesfontein, Fillans \ 



This species is very singular in appearance and quite distinct from all that 

 are known to me. The soft fleshy compressed leaves, being united In pairs 

 for about half their length into flattened obovate 2-lobed bodies, suggest a 

 process of evolution where species of the type of M. Ulohum have develoT)ed 

 internodes })etween tlie successive growths and so developed into a shrublet. 

 The oblique stripes on the leaves are nof evident to all seasons of the year. 



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