Tap. 8463. 
MESEMBRYANTHEMUM Prarsontt. 
— 
South A frica. 
FicomprEar. Tribe MrEsemMBRYEAR. 
MESEMBRYANTHEMUM, Linn. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. i. p. 853, 
Mesembryanthemum Pearsonii, N. £. Brown in Kew Bulletin, 1912, p. 277; 
affinis M. testiculari, Ait., sed foliis multo majoribus, calyce supra folia 
exserto et floribus bicoloribus differt. 
Herba perennis succuienta, 4-5 cm. alta. Folia 2, basi connata, patulo-adscen- 
dentia, 3°5-4 em. longa, 4°5 em. lata, 2°5 em. crassa, facie interiora.sub- 
plana, marginibus subacutis, subtus vel dorso subgibboso-convexa et leviter 
carinata, vertice leviter convexa, obtusissima, laevissima, glabra, alba, hand 
glauca. los solitarius, inter folia terminalis. /edunculus exsertus, 
2°5 cm. longus, validus, compressus, erectus, quadri-bracteatus, glaber. 
Bracteae intferiores 1°5 cm. longae, 0°8 cm. latae, 0°8 cm. crassae, subacute 
trigonae, obtusae, superiores minores, laeves, glabrae, albidae. Calyx 
1-3 cm. diametro, 6-lobus, glaber; lobi 3-4 mm. longi, 5 mm. lati, latissime 
ovati, obtusi. Corolla 3-3°2 cm. diametro, bicolor; petala 3-4-seriata ; 
exteriora circiter 1°3 cm. longa, linearia, obtusa, pulchre purpurea; 
interiora gradatim minora, subochraceo-lutea, rubro-striata. Stamina 
numerosissima, patula, in annulum congesta; filamenta alba; antherae 
pallide luteae. Sty/i nulli; stigmata sessilia, magna, 5 mm. diametro, 
disciformia, obscure crenata.—N. E. Brown. 
The very distinct and striking Mesembryanthemum of 
which a figure is given here, was collected in 1910 by Mr. 
Pillans on the eastern slope of a ridge about twelve miles 
south of Nieuwerust, during the expedition to the Orange 
River led on behalf of the Perey Sladen Trustees by 
Professor Pearson. The plant was received at Kew from 
Professor Pearson, in whose honour it is named, in the 
spring of 1911, and flowered in a sunny frame during the 
summer of the same year, thereby allowing the preparation 
of our illustration. As a species it is most closely allied to 
M. testiculare, Ait., but the leaves are nearly twice as large 
and the calyx is exserted to about the level of the leaf-tips. 
In habit, size and form it also approaches M. Bolusii, 
Hook. f., but it differs very markedly in having smooth 
Novempes, 1912. 
