12G 



FICOIDEjE. I. MESEMBRYANTHEMUM. 



celled. Stigmas 4-20, but usually 5. Capsule many-celled, 

 opening stellately at the apex, adnate to the permanent calyx. 

 Seeds numerous. Embryo curved at the side of a mealy albu- 

 men. Cotyledons thick, very blunt. Subshrubs, rarely herbs, 

 almost all natives of the Cape of Good Hope. Leaves usually 

 opposite, thick, fleshy, flat, terete or trigonal. Flowers termi- 

 nating the branches, white, yellow or purple, the greater part of 



which open in the heat of the sun, very few of them opening in 

 the evening. Fruit opening in a humid atmosphere, and reliev- 

 ing the seeds, which are then dispersed by the wind along with 

 the sand. 



In consequence of this genus being very large, we think it 

 necessary to give a synoptical table of the sections, in order to 

 render a reference to the species more easy. 



Synoptical Table of the Sections. 



Leaves 



not 



papulose. 



Leaves pa- 

 pulose. 



(leaves terete or semi-terete PAPILI^SA (VII.), . 33-53. 



(leaves flat PLANIFOLIA (VIII.), . 54-59. 



SUBDIVISION I. ACAU'LIA (acaulis, without a stem ; plants stem- 

 less or nearly so). Haw. rev. succ. p. 81. Stems wanting or 

 very short. Root perennial. Leaves large, variable in form and 

 thickness, but not flat. 



1 . Sphceroidea (from ofyaipa, sphaira, a sphere ; in reference 

 to the leaves being joined together into a globe). Salm-Dyck. 

 Minima et Sphceroidea, Han. rev. succ. Plants stemless. Leaves 

 opposite, very blunt, joined even to the apex into a globe, but 

 separating at length at the apex, and becoming marcescent, but 

 still sheathing at the base. Flowers solitary, sessile, central. 

 Calyx 4-5-cleft. Stigmas 4-5. Petals joined into a loose tube. 



1 M. MINU'TUM (Haw. obs. 126. misc. 21. rev. 82.) plant 

 stemless, obconical, glaucous, without spots ; flowers long, tu- 

 bular. I/ . D. G. Native of the Cape of Good Hope. Sims, 

 bot. mag. t. 1376. Plant hardly the size of a common bean. 

 Petals pale reddish in the free part, spreading ; tube slender, 

 half an inch long, inclosing the ovarium. 



Minute Fig-marigold. Fl Sept. Nov. PI, -j- inch. 



2 M. MI'NINUM (Haw. obs. 126. misc. 21. syn. 203. rev. p. 

 82.) plant stemless, obconical, glaucescent, with confluent rather 

 branched spots ; ovarium exserted. If . D. G. Native of the 

 Cape of Good Hope. Petiv. gaz. t. 39. f. 3. ? ex Haw. Flowers 

 very pale yellow, almost white, sessile. The cultivated plants 

 of this species are sometimes somewhat caulescent. Offsets 

 fewer from this species than from the other allied species. 



Smallest Fig-marigold. Fl. Sept. Dec. Clt. 1776. PL \ inch. 



3 M. PERPUSI'LLUM (Haw. rev. p. 82.) plant stemless, obco- 

 nical, green, with strong confluent branched dots ; ovarium in- 

 closed, y.. D. G. Native of the Cape of Good Hope. Very 

 nearly allied to M. minimum, but the colour of the flowers is 

 deeper, and the offsets more numerous. 



Very-small Fig-marigold. Fl. Sept. Dec. Clt. 1819. f\.\ 

 inch. 



4 M. OBCORDB'LLUM (Haw. misc. 21. syn. 203. rev. 82.) 



plant stemless, obconical, glaucescent, with confluent branched 

 dots; ovarium inclosed. ^. D. G. Native of the Cape of 

 Good Hope. Sims, bot. mag. 1647. Flowers small, sessile, 

 nearly white. Petals twice the size of those of M. perpusUlum, 

 to which it is very nearly allied. 



Small-obcordate Fig-marigold. Fl. Feb. Oct. Clt. 1776. 

 PI. \ inch. 



5 M. OBCONE'LLUM (Haw. misc. 21. syn. 203. rev. 83.) plant 

 stemless, obconical, green, with confluent, rather tubercle- 

 formed dots ; ovarium inclosed. % . D. G. Native of the Cape 

 of Good Hope. Calyx 4-cleft. Corolla white. 



Little-cone Fig-marigold. Fl. Feb. Oct. Clt. 1786. PI. | in. 



6 M. FICIFORME (Haw. rev. p. 83.) plant stemless, rather 

 pyramidal or pear-shaped, glaucous, retusely obtuse at the apex, 

 with the dots usually distinct, greenish, and nearly obsolete. 

 7/ . D. G. Native of the Cape of Good Hope. Plant pale. 

 Flowers unknown. 



Fig-formed Fig-marigold. Fl. Feb. Oct. Clt. 1819. PL | in. 



7 M. TRUNCATE'LLUM (Haw. misc. 22. syn. 203. rev. 83.) 

 plant stemless, much depressed, and rather glaucous, with the 

 dots rather distinct ; ovarium exserted. I/ . D. G. Native of 

 the Cape of Good Hope. Flowers straw-coloured. 



Small-truncated Fig-marigold. Fl. Feb. Oct. Clt. 1795. 

 PI. inch. 



8 M. FIBUIJEFORME (Haw. misc. p. 22. syn. 203. rev. p. 83.) 

 plant stemless, rather canescent, and somewhat pubescent, very 

 much depressed, and spotless. I/ . D. G. Native of the Cape 

 of Good Hope. Flowers unknown. 



Button-shaped Fig-marigold. Fl. ? Clt. 1795. PI. | inch. 



9 M. TURBINIFORME (Haw. rev. p. 84.) plant stemless, obco- 

 nical, exactly truncate, and therefore top-formed, obscurely dot- 

 ted, it . D. G. Native of the Cape of Good Hope. Burch. 

 cat. 1630. 2. voy. 1. p. 310. This species is twice or thrice the 

 size of M. truncatum. 



Top-shaped Fig-marigold. PI. 2 inches. 



