Tab. 8674a. 

 MESEMBRYANTHEMUM transvaalense. 



South Africa. 



Ficoideae. Tribe Mesembryeae. 

 Mesembryanthemum, Linn. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant, vol. i. p. 853. 



Mesembryanthemum (§ Aloidea) transvaalense, Bolfe ; species nova M. albi- 

 punctato, Haw., affinis, sed foliis patentibus vel subreflexis, flonbus 

 majoribus, petalis rubro-lineatis et stylis clavatis differt. 



Herba parva, acaulis. Folia 8-11, patentia vel subreflexa, lineari-oblonga, 

 subacuta, integra, crassa, nitida, viridia, crebre et minute verruculosa, 

 2-5-4 cm. longa, 0-5-0-6 cm. lata, 0-4-0-5 cm. crassa, supra plarnuscula 

 vel subconcava, subtus convexa, vix carinata, apice incurvula, triquetro- 

 compressa. Flores subsessiles, expansi 2*5-3 cm. diametro. Calyx late 

 campanulatus ; lobi late deltoideo-ovati, acuti, 0-6-0-7 cm. longi, minute 

 verruculosi, margine membranacci. Petala numerosissima, patentia vel 

 subreflexa, circiter 1 cm. longa, lutea, medio rubro-lineata. Stamina 

 numerosa, erecta; filamenta albida; antherae flavidae. Styh 10, erecti, 

 apice patentes, subclavati. — E. A. Eolfe. 



For the introduction to our succulent collections of 

 the Mesembryanthemum here described horticulture is 

 indebted to the officers of the Department of Agriculture 

 of the Transvaal, by whom it was presented to Kew in 

 1910. It is a native of the Transvaal, where it was 

 originally obtained by Mr. J. Burtt Davy in the Smitz- 

 kraal-Boshof district. In its native habitat it is met 

 with growing on a brown loam; under cultivation at 

 Kew it has thriven well under the conditions suitable 

 for other South African species. It flowered for the 

 first time in June, 1915, and proved then to be a hitherto 

 uncharacterized species. A member of the Alotdea 

 section of its genus, M. transvaalense calls to mind 

 M. vittatum, N. E. Br., and M. rubro-lineatum, N. E. Br., 

 two species in which the petals are similarly marked 

 with a central red line. In all other characters, however, 

 it is more nearly allied to M. albipunctatum, Haw., a 

 species introduced many years ago from some locality 

 in South Africa which has not been definitely recorded, 

 though it is known that the plant was found not far 



August, 1916. 



