Tas. 8814. 
MESEMBRYANTHEMUM wnopsitt. 
South Africa. 
FicoiEAE. Tribe MEsEMBRYEAE. 
MESEMBRYANTHEMUM, Linn. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. i. p. 853. 
Mesembryanthemum (§ Magnipuncta) nobile, Haw. in Phil. Mag. vol. lxii. 
(1823), p. 381; DC. Prodr. vol. iii. p. 419; Salm-Dyck, Mesemb. fasc. iv. t. 1 ; 
Harv. & Sond. Fl. Cap. vol. ii. p. 396 ; Berger, Mesemb. pp. 263, 264, fig. 56 ; 
species M. magnipunctato, Haw., valde affinis, foliis angustioribus subfalcatis 
et magis glaucescentibus differt. 
Herba parva, acaulis. Folia 4-6, basi connata, patentia vel subrecurva, oblonga, 
subobtusa, crassa, supra planiuscula, subtus subtriquetra, 4-6 cm. longa, 
1-3-1-5 cm. lata, glaucescentia, crebre viridi-punctata. Flores subsessiles, 
speciosi, 5-6 cm. diametro. Peduncult subobsoleti, crassi, bracteis duabus 
carnosis subfoliaceis instructi. Calyx subglobosus, circiter 2m. longus, 
5-6-fidus ; lobi lanceolato-oblongi, subobtusi, carnosi. Petala pluriserialia, 
linearia, aurea, 2°5-3 cm. longa. Stamina numerosa; antherae oblongae. 
Ovarium subglobosum, supra conicum, verruculosum; styli circiter 16, 
erecti, subulati, facie plumulosi.—M. magnipunctatum, var. affine, Haw. Revis. 
Pl. Suce. p. 87.—R. A. Roire. 
The section Magnipuncta, recognised by Haworth within 
the large and polymorphic genus Mesembryanthemum, 
includes only two forms, the original M. magnipunctatum, 
Haw., and the one now figured, which Haworth at first 
was inclined to regard as only a variety of M. magni- 
punctatum, but at a later date treated as a distinct 
species, M. nobile. The original VM. magnipunctatum was 
based on a plant collected by Burchell and cultivated 
at Kew nearly a century ago. There is a coloured drawing 
in the Herbarium collection of a flowerless example 
which was collected on the heights near the Zekoe River 
by Bowie in 1818. When Haworth indicated the exis- 
tence of the variety nobile, he tentatively referred to 
that variety the plant regarded by Prince Salm-Dyck 
as M. magnipunctatum, and this plant became the type 
of M. nobile, Haw., in 1823. There is at Kew a coloured 
drawing of Haworth’s second species which is noted 
as having been received from Prince Salm-Dyck. The 
JULY-SEPTEMBER, 1919. 
