308 to believe that this statement is based upon sone superficial re- 

 seinblance of the two piants rather than upon a careful comparison 

 by dissecting them both, ^""or, according to the description of it, 

 M. brevipes differs from Roodia digitifolie by having A-6 leaves 

 to 8 growth, very short peduncles, and 6 subulate stigmas nearly 

 li line long, nnd therefore it vfould have only 6 cells to the 

 ovary and capsule (which latter is not described), consequently 

 it cannot even belong to the same genus as ^oodia digitifolia. 

 Until fresh maternal of H. brevipes, v/ith good flowers and fruit 

 be determined. Among the both annual and perennial species of 

 this groun there are several cases where the plants are so very 

 similar in general apnearance that they might easily be supposed 

 to belong to the same genus or section, and in some cases hr-ve 

 been mistf>ken for the same species, yet when carefully dissected 

 and exemined are found to have such a totally different structure 

 that they crnnot be associated in the seme genus. There are 

 plants having the seme type of growth as Roodia, which certainly do 

 not belong to this genus, but I have not yet been able to obtain 

 both flowers and fruit of them, so at present ^ am unable to deal 

 with them in any way. J^ny of these plants can only be properly 

 deter- 5ned by dissection and an examination of their fruit, as I 

 have found from experience that similarity in appearance is often 

 no guide to peal affinity, N. E. Bpown 



(To be continued.) 



MESa-IBRYAl." THSLTUIi , 



Card. Chron. HI. 79: 4O6. 1926. 

 (Continued from page 308.) 



8.— CHEIRIDOFSIS, N. E. By. 



406 I>warf, succulent perennials, forming clumps, ^eaves oppo- 

 site, in nature only 1-2 pairs to a growth, but under cultivation 

 UT? to 3 pairs are sometimes present at the same time, the alterna- 

 ting pairs often dissimilar in size; form or degree of union at 

 the base, one pair being only shortly united at the base, and the 

 next pair united from one-third to three-fourths or, in a few 

 STsecies, for nearly all their length, withering, and the basal 

 part forming during the resting period a truncate sheath surround- 

 ing the next ppir of leaves, or, in a few species, completely en- . 

 closing the new pair, which usually have their flat faces closely 

 api^lied to one another, so that the pair somewhat resembles the 

 beak of a bird; green, glaucous-green or white, often conspicuous- 

 ly dotted, sometimes without dots. 



J'lov/er solitary, terminal, usually with only one pair of 

 leaves at the base of the pedicel, but sometimes also bearing a- 

 nother pair at or below its middle. Caiyx-4-5-lobed dovm to its 

 union with the ovary. Petals numerous, free. Stamens numerous, 

 erect or more or less connivent. Stigmas 8-19 (in one doubtful 

 species the stigmas and the valves and cells of the capsule are 

 only 4-6), more or less plumose; no st:^'^le. ^vary pertly superior, 

 becoming in-ferior in fruit, 8-19-celled; placentas on the outer 

 vrall or floor of the cells (Fig. 210). ^gpgule with 8-19 valves 

 and cell? (except in the doubtful C, ventricosa); valves narrow, 

 widely spreading or reflexed v.lien wetted; expanding-keels diver- 

 ging upwards from the base or contig^aous at the basal part and 



