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 BemriiMon, of the Mesemhrianthemwn Family. 



Herhs, or small shrubs. 

 Leaves — Fleshy and thick. 



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

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

 Fruit — Capsule, opening when wet. 



Umbelliferae. 

 The Caerot 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'ylc), 

 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 

 com'powiid nmbcl, i.e. the flowers on their pedicels form 

 a sim'ple vmhrl, but many of these radiate again from 

 the end of the main peduncle, so making a compound 

 umbel. 



