152 SOUTH AFRICAN FLOWERING PLANTS, 



hairs, filled. with water, which give it a frosty appear- 

 ance. This is another method of storing water not 

 uncommon in desert plants. 



General Description of the Mesemhriantliemurn Family. 



Herhs, or small shruhs. 

 Leaves — Fleshy and thick. 



Floioers — Sepals, 4 to 8, coherent ; petals, or oo ; 

 stamens, few or oo free ; ovary, inferior, 2- to oo -celled. 

 Fruit — Capsule, opening when wet. 



Umbelliferae. 

 The Carrot and Parsnip Family. 



This is a large order of some 1300 species of 152 

 genera in 9 tribes. In South Africa there are 35 

 genera. The structure of the flower and fruit is so 

 uniform that when one example is thoroughly mastered, 

 any member of the family will be recognized at once. 



The species, as a rule, excepting, for example, the 

 money-wort, as it is called in England {Hydrocot'yle), 

 have divided or compound leaves, their petioles more 

 or less sheathing the stem. The inflorescence of by 

 far the greater number is easily known, as being a 

 compound umbel, i.e. the flowers on their pedicels form 

 a simple umhel, but many of these radiate again from 

 the end of the main peduncle, so making a compound 

 umbel. 



