425 Mesembryanthemtim cigerettiferum, Berger in Engler, Bot. 

 Jahrb., vol. XLV, t).225 (1910). i-^. vescum, N. E. Br. in Journ. 

 Linn. Soc. Bot., vol. XLV, p. 89^ pi. 6, figs. 15-18 (l920 ) . 



La^ngsburg Division: Hear i^Iatjesfontein, -Austin, Brunthaler, 

 Pillans. 



Very few plants are so deceptive and so difficult to determine 

 as this, for no one seeing it in its natural resting state would 

 identify it as being the same as that I have figured under the name 

 of MesembryBnthemum vescum, ouoted above, yet the two are undoijbted- 

 ly the same species. 



From the imperfection of the original description of ^K^ cigar- 

 ettiferum I was misled into supposing it to be the same as '^'■. pyg- 

 maexim. Haw, But. Mr. G. Schawntes, finding that ^ had made this 

 mistake, very ftindly sent to me a photograph of a cultivated plant 

 of M. cigarettiferum, v/hich, however, differed so greatly from the 

 descrir^tion of that plant that at first I though some mistake had 

 been made in the name. At about the same time ^ received from a 

 friend two plants in a resting condition collected near i'-atjesfon- 

 tein and another of the same species from an unknown but different 

 locality. These plants soon developed the tiny dormant leaves 

 that were (when received) scarecelv longer than the sheaths in which 

 they were contained (see ?ig. SIVAJ but grew out and became of the 

 size above described (see ^ig. 217B) , and exactly as represented in 

 Mr. Schwantes photograph of M. cigarettiferum. As there were still 

 some of the growths on the plants in the same dormant state as 

 when received, I compard them with the original description of ^^» 

 cigarettiferum and found them to agree perfectly with it, so that 

 Berger evidently described M, cigarettiferum from an imported plant 

 in its withered, resting condition, in which state the most conspi- 

 cuous feature is the withered, grey, short, sleeve-like or cup-like 

 truncate sheaths formed by the deed pairs of united leaves, each 

 enclosing an undeveloped oair of nearly free leaves. Under culti- 

 vation this plant never appears to assiome the same appearance as 

 it does when at rest under natural conditions. Subsequent stages 

 of the Blent (as at Fig, 217C) demonstrated that it is identical 

 with that I have described and figured under the name of ''■•'-, vescum, 

 from a plant sent to me by Mp. Pillans, from I^^at jesf ontein. At 

 Kew the same plant v;as cultivated, which was received from ^^'^tjes- 

 fontein from ^r. Brunthaler, so that it is probable that the i^ew 

 plants of I^-. vescum were even part of the original importation of 

 M. cigarettiferum, although I ^j&s not aware of it, and the plant as 

 I saw it could not possibly be identified with the description of 

 that species, 



426 C, cunrea, N. E, Br. — Leaves usally 2 pairs to e growth, up 

 to li" inch long and 2 lines broad, each pair conn- te at the base, 

 with the sheath up to 7 lines long, one ascending the other recurved, 

 flat on the face, keeled on the back v/ith convex sides, obtuse or 

 subtruncate (probably in fide viev/) and slightly serrulate at the 

 apex, smooth. Peduncle 24-3 inches long, terete, bibracteete at 



the base, bearing 1-? flowers; bracts (probably really a pair of 

 leaves) 10-12 lines long. Calyx depressed-ore ter-like , subequally 

 4-lobed; tube 2 lines long, constricted at^the apex: lobes 4-5 

 lines long, tv.'o v;ith membranous margns. ^opolla If inch in diam- 

 eter, opening at midday; petals in many series, 6-^- 8^ lines long, 

 linear-spathulate, acute, entire, coppery-red above the middle, 

 paler below, golden yellow at the base, and rosy-purple on the back. 

 Stamens erect, l-2i- lines long; inner filaments beareded at the base. 



