164 StiCTias 5, erect, shorter than the stamens, subulate, perhaps pap- 

 illate. Ovpry half-superior, conical or convex and ridged on the 

 top. Capsule small, half superior, v;ith 5 valves and cells; valves 

 recurved when expanded, with the xpanding-keels contiguous below, 

 diverging above, usually dull orange or orange- brown, with rather 

 narrovj, membran -^us acutely-pointed wings; cells roofed^with mem- 

 branous cell-wings and without a placental tubercle, ^eeds ovoid, 

 smooth, brown. 



Species 4. — Natives of ^outh Africa. I'he type of the genus 

 being M. tuberosum, N.'il.Br. 



The name is derived from the Greek, mestos, full, and klema, 

 a small branch, in allusion to the abundantly branched habit of 

 the bushes. 



Although I had held the opinion for many years past that the 

 plants here dealt with formed a distinct genus, I was unable to deal 

 properly with it for want of such material as I have through the 

 kindness of Mr. H. A. Dyer, nov; had access to, and from ^fl^ich I 

 have formulated the above generic characters. 



Mestoklema is allied to Delosperma, and the type species 

 (M. tuberosum) was referred 'to the lateer genus by Dj., Schv;antes, 

 but ef^roneously, as it has not the generic charactes of Delosperma, 

 although South African botanists have accept'^d that generic determin- 

 ations, apparently without examination. The- two genera, however, 

 differ at a glance, for the peculiar habit, ery small flowers, and 

 the persistant, hardened and subspinose cymes give the genus a very 

 dist'nct appearance, while the important structure of the capsule is 

 distinctly at variance v.'ith that of Delosperma, in which the cells 

 are open, without cell-v;ings, and the expanding-keels different. 



This genus is difficult to characterise from dried specimens 

 as the species are similar in appearance, although probably easily 

 distinguished when alive. Unfortunately, I have not been able to 

 examine living material of them, so cannot make use of and contrast 

 such characters as would at once appeal to the student having living 

 plants before him. It is 

 165 not even knovm if other species than ^, tuberosum and its variety have 

 a tuberous rootstock, So that in compiling the key I hsve had to 

 make use of such small absolute characters as dissection of the 

 dried material afforded. 



Key to the Sr^ecies. 



Pedicels 4-7 lines long; petals li-l^ line long, light 



magenta. 6, albanicum. 



Pedicels 1-3 lines long. 



Ovary-part of cal3nc about 1-^ line in diameter; corolla 

 4-4-^ lines in diameter, v;ith petals l5-l-| line long, 

 Cjnnes f-lg inch in diameter, with at about 7-12 flowers. 



Petals corpery fulvous or some shade of magenta, 



1. tuberosum. 



1, tuberosum var. macrorhizum, 



Cymes li-3^ Inches in diameter, with 15-50 flowers. 



2. copiosum. 



