Tas. 6299. 
MESEMBRYANTHEMUM SUTHERIANDII. 
Native of Natal. 
Nat. Ord. Ficorpnrm.—Tribe MresemMBryveEz. 
Genus Mesempryantnemum, Linn, (Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. 
vol. i. p. 853.) 
MEsEMBRYANTHEMUM Sutherlandii ; herbaceum, perenne, ramosum, robustum, 
ramis annuis adscendentibus cylindraceis hispidulis, foliis oppositis 
patenti-recurvis basi subconnatis, elongato lingulatis minute papulosis supra 
medium subdilatatis acutis superne scaberulis marginibus subrecurvis ciliola- 
tis crasse carnosis supra paulo-concavis subtus costam rotundatam versus 
tumidis, scapo 5-floro 1-2-pollicari robusto hispidulo, flore 2-2} poll. diamet. 
calyce tereti tubo turbinato, sepalis inequalibus subcylindraceis patenti- 
recurvis obtusis scaberulis 2 brevioribus membranaceo-marginatis, petalis 
roseo-pupureis anguste linearibus obtusis, staminibus flavis multiseriatis 
exterioribus anantheris, stigmatibus 5 ovato-lanceolatis acuminatis grosse 
papillosis seta terminatis. 
It is not without hesitation that I propose a new South Afri- 
can species of the immense genus Mesembryanthemum, of 
which some 290 species are already contained in Harvey and 
_ Sonders’ ‘ Flora Capensis.’ I have, however, searched in vain | 
amongst those described in that work for any which accords 
with this, which moreover comes from a district beyond the 
range of the species hitherto discovered. Of the sixty-five 
sections under which the S. African species are classified, there 
1s none with which it quite agrees, though it is probably refer- 
able to one of those belonging to the great group of ‘“ Papu- 
losee,” the surfaces of whose leaves and branches are covered 
with minute glistening cellular papille. It may, perhaps, 
be safely referred to a reformed section, “ Platyphylla,” of 
Haworth, from which it differs in the root being perennial 
instead of annual or biennial. 
M. Sutherlandii was sent to the Royal Gardens by Dr. 
Sutherland, Surveyor-General of the colony of Natal, in 
ie and has flowered annually in the summer months since 
Dzscr. Minutely papulose and clothed (except the broad 
tumid middle part of the under surface of the leaves) with 
short rigid hairs. Root perennial, Stem branching from 
JUNE Ist, 1877. 
