47S in 2e5.tschr. f. Sukk. , 1926, p. 184, and 1927, p. 30, without a 



descrir^tion or reference, but evidently founded upon M. inexpecte- 

 tum Dint, in ^inter's Sukk. in ^udwestafrika, p. 106, v/hich again 

 is only mentioned by name, without any description, and therefore 

 both names ere Invalid, and the plant intended msy not belong to 

 this genus. 



N. E. Brown . 

 (To be continued.) 



MESE',3RYiaTTHEIvUM . 

 Gard. Chron. HI. 84 5 492. 1928. 

 (Continued from page 472.) 



LAPIDARIA, Schv/ant. 



492 Stemless, perennial. 2gch adult growth with 3 or 4 pairs of 

 crovrded leaves always present at the saj^e time, shortly united at 

 the b^se, flat or slightly concave on the face, not dotted, \\d.th 

 a minutely granulated surface. Flower solitary, terminal, pedicel- 

 late, but with the pedicel concealed in the bases of the leaves. 

 Calyx somevrhat comrressed and 2-edged, sub-equally 7-lobed nearly 

 dcATi to its union with the ovary; lobes ovate, all but the two 

 outer with membranous edges, dotted, -^etals niomerous, "loosely 

 united at the base" ex Dinter, ascending-spreading so as to form 

 a cup. Stamens numerous, erect, the inner much shorter and more in- 

 flexed than the outer, partly concealed in the cup of the corolla; 

 filaments bearded at the base. Stigmas 6-7, subulate or filiform, 

 ascending, with recurved tips, as long as or exceeding the stamens. 

 Ovary inferior, flattish at the top, 6-7-celled; placentas on the 

 outer waTl of the ce'^ls,. Capsule shortly and broadly obconic, flat, 

 with raised sutures, at the top, with 6-7 valves and cells; valves 

 at the widely spreading or recurved when expanded; expanding-keels 

 contiguous below, diverging at the anieal part, with broad membranous 

 margins; cells roofed with membranous cell-wings, without a tubercle 

 at the opening. Seeds. 



A monot3''pic genus, native of Namaqualand. 



The name is doubtless derived from the Latin, Lgpiderius, stony 

 probably in allusion to the stony ground in which it grovifs. 



1. L, L^rgaretae, Schwant., in Iv!ollers Deutsche Gartner ^eit- 

 ung, 1927, p. "23. Old plants about if-ll inch high, formed of a 

 clump of dendely crowded grovrths, each with four pairs of thick, 

 fleshy leaves present at the same time; leaves 6-9 lines long, 

 7-12 lines broad, r-7 lin^s thick, oblong in young plants, broadly 

 ovate in old nlants,5btusely pointed, flat or slightly concave a- 

 bove vrith sharp edges, and keeled at the apex, of hard or firm sub- 

 stance, glabrous, with a smooth mic osconically granulated surface, 

 of a ■oeculiar rusty-ochreous colour in imported plants, but in 

 cultivated nlants whitish, with a rosy tint or in sunless years be- 

 coming greenish, v;i th ye"'lov7ish or ochreous edges and keel. J^low- 

 ers terminal, a^rear:'ng sesrile, but with a pedicel concealed be- 

 tween the b^sal pert of the leaves. Calyx sub-equally 7-lobed, 

 puberulous; lobes about three lines long, li-2 line broad^ oblong 

 or ovate-oblong, obtuse, three v/ith membranous margins, "-orolla 

 1-2 inches in diameter; netals nume 'ous in 3-4 series, the outer 

 6-9 lines long, ^-i line broad, the inner gradulally smaller, 

 cuneately linear, obtuse or sub-acute, yellow, ■^tigma.s 6-7, about 

 3-4^ lines long, filiform, acute, greenish-yellov/. Capsule as for 



