Tas. 6312. 
MESEMBRYANTHEMUM CooPERi. 
Native of South Africa. 
Nat. Ord. Ficoipes.—Tribe MEsEMBRYEZX. 
Genus Mesempryantuemum, Linn. (Benth. et Hook. f. Gen, Plant. 
vol. i. p. 853.) 
Mrsempryantuemum (Papulosa) Cooperi ; totum creberrime papulosum, glaucum 
herbaceum, perenne, ramosum, ramis decumbentibus, foliis oppositis patenti- 
recurvis semi-teretibus linearibus obtusis angulis obtusis facie subconvexa 
apicibus cylindraceis obtusiusculis glaberrimis, pedunculis terminalibus 
solitariis brevibus cylindraceis 1-rarissime 2—3-floris. floribus 24 poll. diametr. 
calycis tubo obconico lobis tubo equilongis subacutis patenti-recurvis 2 ceteris 
longioribus,’ petalis exterioribus perplurimis 1-seriatis anguste linearibus 
roseo-purpureis, interioribus (v. staminodiis) multo brevioribus et angusti- 
oribus erecto-recurvis, staminibus confertis, antheris stramineis, stigmatibus 
5-6 late subulatis. 
e 
‘This is a very handsome and free-growing species of Mesem- 
bryanthemum, filling a large pot with its blue-glaucous glisten- 
ing stems and foliage, and bearing a handsome purple flower. 
It belongs to the Crassulina group of the Papulosa division, 
-but differs very much from all previously described species, 
all of which have very slender stems. Its precise habitat is 
unknown; it was sent by Mr. Cooper when collecting in 
South Africa for Mr. Wilson Saunders, who, with his usual 
liberality, presented specimens to Kew, which flower an- 
nually in the month of June. 
Descr. A much-branched quite glabrous decumbent glau- 
cous blue herb, forming large masses, clothed everywhere on 
‘stem, leaves, and calyx with close-set crystalline papille. 
Branches os thick as a duck-quill, cylindric, terete, not 
thickened at the nodes. Leaves rather close-set, opposite, 
one and a half.to two inches long, spreading and recurved, 
nearly linear, gradually narrowed to the subobtuse apex, 
semi-terete, the angles of the upper surface rounded, very 
AuausT 1st, 1877. 
