110 Mr. Haworth's Account of Mesembryanthema Ringentia. 



Some of these extraordinary plants are now becoming fre- 

 quent in our collections, and have ever been fancifully likened 

 by gardeners to the chops of animals ; and thence called Cat- 

 chop, Mouse-chop, Tiger-chop, &c. * ; and this from the fan- 

 tastical idea of each young pair of leaves on the plants Rear- 

 ing some resemblance to the gaping mouths of those well- 

 known quadrupeds ; the ciliating teeth on the margins of the 

 leaves not unaptly representing those of the animals. 



The addition of a new species to this singular group has 

 induced me to reconsider the whole, and to forward to you 

 the present communication respecting it for insertion, if you 

 judge it proper, in your Magazine. 



This new species, from its long teeth, and following up the 

 allusion of a gaping mouth, I have called lupinum (the Wolf's- 

 chop), the substantive rictum being understood, as usual, to 

 accompany the adjectives constituting the specific names 

 throughout the group. 



This fine and interesting plant was obligingly communi- 

 cated to me by my good friend W. T. Aiton, Esq. from the 

 Royal Gardens of Kew, in the year 1 823, having been there 

 raised the year before, from Cape seeds, along with a profu- 

 sion of other succulent and still more interesting plants ; 

 which, through Mr. Aiton's successful exertions, have de- 

 lighted us with more of the flowery bloom of Africa than 

 we have ever elsewhere seen. 



I remain, gentlemen, 



Your most obedient sei'vant, 

 Chelsea, Aug. 1824. A. H. Ha WORTH. 



Mesembrvanthemum Linn. Sectio Ringentia Nobis. 



Section is Characteres. 

 Perennia, acaulia, subacauliave : foliis carnosioribus am- 

 plexicaulibus semiteretibus, superne pedetentim dilatantibus, 

 apicem versus triquetro-carinatis, ciliatim ad oras dentatis: 

 floribus magnis pomeridianis sessilibus luteis. 



Foliorum juniora paria animalium rictum repraesentant 

 lusorie. 



* Majorat acaulia: foliis laevibus magnis crassis dentibus 

 marginalibus alba setula finientibus, apice cartilagine 

 albo-carinatis. 



Specierum Characteres. 

 tigrinum. M. (The Tiger-chop) virescens: foliis cordato- 

 1 . ovatis albo crebre marmoratis, altissime ciliatis, supra 



* The Dog-chop (M. damnum) and Fox-chop {M. vulpinum), being sca- 

 pigerous plants, arc removed to the section Scapigcra. 



plan is. 



