Mesembryanlhemum. FICOIDE^. 261 



§ 1. Papulosa, Sonder, 1. c. Surface of stem and leaves covered with 



colorless shiuing papulae : our species spreading annuals, branched from the base, 



and with leaves alternate or scattered. 



* Leaves linear, semiterete. 



M. nodifloruna, L. Suberect or procumbent, matted, covered with fine papula : leaves 

 half inch to inch in length, a line in breadth, obtuse : flowers scattered, small, subsessile or 

 shortly pedunculate : 4-5-cleft calyx considerably exceeding the minute wliite petals : valves 

 of the capsule 5, acute, not uncinate, stellately spreading when moist. — Spec. i. 480 ; DC. 

 PI. Grass, t. 88; Parish, Zoe, i. 263. M. copticum, L. 1. c. ed. 2, i. 688; Jacq. Hort. Vindob. 

 iii. t. 6. M. apetalum, L. f. Suppl. 258. — Sandy hills on S. Californiau coa.st, San Diego Co., 

 Cleveland, Orcutt ; San Clemente Isl., Lyon & Nevin, and Sta. Catalina Isl., Brandegee ; 

 locally abundant although, as Mr. Parish states, our most restricted species. (S. Afr. and 

 Mediterranean Region.) 



* * Leaves flat, with more or less expanded lamina. 



M. crystallinum, L. (Ice Plant.) Very succulent, prostrate, forming mats: papulae 

 large and conspicuous : leaves ovate to obovate or broadly spatulate, amplexicaul, the lowest 

 with a cordate or subcordate petiolate base : flowers axillary, subsessile or borne on short 

 thick erect peduncles : campaniilate calyx 4 to 6 lines in length and about as broad : petals 

 pink or purplish red, varying to white : carpels 5 ; valves of the retuse capsule as many, 

 dorsally concave, uncinately incurved, hygroscopic, being opened by moisture and closed in 

 drought ; nigrescent epicarp separating from the stramineous more cartilaginous endocarp. 

 — Spec. i. 480 (Dill. Elth. t. 180, f. 221); DC. PI. Grass, t. 128; Sibth. Fl. Grac. v. t. 481 ; 

 Parish, 1. c. 262. — In sandy soil, coast of California and adjacent islands (where especially 

 abundant and luxuriant), from Sta. Barbara southward, also in Mojave Desert, Mrs. Brande- 

 gee, fidt Parish ; first collected in California by Fremont. (Lower Calif, and adj. islands, 

 Greece, N. Afr., Canary Ids., S. Afr.) First recognized as indigenous on the Californian 

 islands by Prof. Greene. 



M. coRDiFOLiDM, L. f. (Suppl. 260), a related red-flowered species with even the upper 

 leaves petiolate and cordate, is reported by K. Brandegee (Zoe ii. 352), as an escape about San 

 Francisco. (S. Afr.) 



§ 2. Epapulosa, Sonder, 1. c. 389. Stem and foliage smooth : our species 



perennial with opposite thick dorsally carinate leaves. 



M. sequilaterale, Haworth. Very fleshy : stems elongating and forming large mats : 

 leaves 2 inches or more in length, oblong, acute, triquetrous-prismatic, thicker than broad : 

 flowers large, terminal, shortly pedunculate, fragrant, 1^ to 2 inches in diameter: spreading 

 lobes of the calyx very unequal : petals roseate: styles 6 (or more) : fruit edible. — Misc. 

 Nat. 77, & Syn. PI. Sue. 237 ; Salm-Dyck, 1. c. fasc. 1, § 19, f. 1 ; Brew. & Wats. Bot. Calif, 

 i. 251; Parish, 1. c. 261. M. dimid'iatum, Torr. Pacif. R. Rep. iv. 75; Newberry, ihid. vi. 

 67 ; not Haw. — Sand dunes and sterile cliffs, California, on and near the coast from Point 

 Reyes, Bigelow, southward. (Lower Calif., Chili, Australia, Tasmania.) 



A slender erect-branched purplish-flowered species, probably the S. African M. stenum, 

 Haw. (not the scarlet-flowered M. coccinenm. Haw., as at first determined), was in 1878 collected 

 at Point Conception, near Sta. Barbara, Calif., by Miss Plummer, where, as a garden-escape, it 

 had become temporarily established. However, ace. to Parish, 1. c, it has already disappeared 

 from this its only known N. American locality. 



