■ I 



SPECIES OF ME^:SEMBRVAKtllEMUM, 



123 



and niiicli larfrer size of the floAvers etc^ and comos from a totally different 

 region. All the measurements in the aljove description are made from di'ied 

 specimens^ so that probably some of them will be found to be less than those 

 of the same parts of the living plant. 



Affinity doubtful. 



M. RECUiiVUMj Moencli. A decumbent shrub with a ghibrous bark. 

 Leaves G lines (12 mm,) long, snbtriqnetrous, connate-sessile, recurved at tlie 

 apcXj glabrous^ subpapillose. Flowers solitary, white. Bracts none. Calyx 

 r>-lobed. Stamens all fertile. Stigmas 5, Capsule 5-celled. — A/, recarvani^ 

 Moench, Meth, PL Suppl. p. 190 (1802), not of Haworth. 



Locality and collector unknown, bat probably of South African origin. 



The above is a translation of the original desciiption^ which represents all 

 tliat is known of this plant. It appears to have been overlooked by all 

 authorSj as I have failed to fiiul it in the works of either Haworth3 De Ctindolh*, 

 Sonder^ or Berger ; but it is quite probable that it has been also described 

 Haworth under another name. The section to Avhich it belonos is 



doubtful. The J/, recarvnm^ Haw. was not published until 1819 (see under 

 M. Scliollii, p. 120). 



III. Species discovered by BurchelL (To end.) 



M. ALOIDES, Ilaw. (§ Aloides). Stemless, tufted, with fusiform roots. 

 Leaves numerous^ spreading, scarcely I'cgularly decussate, semicylindric, 

 thick, gradually enlarged upwards, somewhat concave on tlie upper side, 

 carinate-triquetroLis at tlie apex, entire^ greenish^ with somewhat peiirhlike 

 white dots, especially beneath. Flow^ers central, sessile, of moderate size, 

 yellow, produced in the autumn. 



The above are all the characters given l)y Haworth in his two descriptions 

 of this plant. Burchell in his MSS. (h^scribes it as follows : — '' Stemless ; 

 roots fusiform, edible, r^eaves spathnlafe, connate at the base, entire, acute, 

 flat above, convex benc^ath, twice as broad as thick, dull green sprinkled 



with wliite dots. Flower sessile, yellow.'^ 



In tlie Kcw Herbarium is preserved an excellent coloured drawing of the 

 typical plant, inscribed ^^ J/, aloides^ Haw. Received from Mr. Haworth in 

 the year 1822, who obtained it from Mr. Burclielh" This drawing shows 

 the following characters; — Plant stemless, tufted. Leaves 8-12 to a growth 

 or cluster, some perhaps belong to axillary growths, widely spreading, 

 opposite, but forming a rosette 6-7 em. in diameter; each leaf 2-3 cm. long, 

 8—10 mm, broad; and about 5 mm. thicjk, lanceolate or somewhat rhomboid- 

 lanceolate, acute, flat, or perhaps sligiitly concave above, keeled beneath, 

 at least at the apical part, rather dark dull green^ with purplish margins, 

 thickly dotted wdtli white on both surfaces, the dots along the margins 



