Addisonia 37 



(Plate 243) 



BYRNESIA WEINBERGII 

 Weinberg's Stonecrop 



Native country unknown 



Family Crassulaceas Orpin© Family 



Echeveria Weinbergii Hort.; Theodosia B. Shepherd, Descript. Cat. 37. 1912. 

 Cotyledon paraguayensis N. E. Brown, Kew Bull. Misc. Inf. 1914: 208. 1914. 

 Byrnesia* Weinbergii Rose. 



Among the Crassulaceae are many striking ornamentals, some of 

 which have long been favorites for carpet-bedding or where formal 

 figures or letters are desired. Many new species, some with lurid 

 leaves forming compact rosettes, have recently been introduced 

 from Mexico and will be desirable additions to our gardens. In 

 1907, while we were carrying on studies in this family, we received 

 a very strange plant of unknown source. In its habit it closely 

 resembled the echeverias of Mexico but the flowers were very dif- 

 ferent. The plant is an extremely shy bloomer, flowering only 

 once in Washington (December 1909) and once in the New York 

 Botanical Garden (February 1921) during the fifteen years we have 

 had it under observation. 



Our specimen came through Frank Weinberg, along with some 

 Paraguay plants, but he afterwards told us that he knew nothing 

 of its origin. We have written and sent specimens to many persons 

 in America and Europe seeking information regarding it. As a 

 result of this free distribution of specimens two new names have 

 been applied to it without furnishing any information regarding 

 its native land ! 



One of our correspondents, Alwin Berger, writes of this plant 

 as follows : 



"The fine Crassulacea of which you enclose a photo was sent to 



me as Echeveria arizonica a year or two ago. I have no idea of its 



origin. It is neither an Echeveria nor a Cotyledon; neither can it 



be called a Sedum but it comes very near this genus. I do not 



believe that it comes from Paraguay; it looks like a Mexican 



* Byrnesia gen. nov. 



A perennial herb, at first acaulescent but in time becoming caulescent; leaves 

 forming a terminal rosette, fleshy, oblanceolate, pointed; inflorescence cymose; 

 sepals 5, green, glaucous; limb of corolla spreading, the lobes 5, white, united at 

 base; stamens 10, at first erect, afterwards spreading; carpels 5, erect, reddish. 



