1006 



MERTENSIA 



MESEMBRYANTHE51UM 



J*?^ 



1394. Vireinian Cowslip or 

 — Mertensia pulmonarioidi 



The common Mertensia is one of the plants that should 

 remain undisturbed for years, and hence is suited to the 

 rotkerj Its leaves die down soon after flowering time. 

 The plant should have a sheltered position, full sunshine 

 and rich, loam\ soil M Sihirica is considered by some 

 «\ en more desirable The fls are later, light blue, and 

 not as distinctive in form. The foliage of M. Sibirica 

 lasts through the 

 summer. Mertensias 

 may be prop, by seed 

 if sown as soon as 

 ripe, but with uncer- 

 tainty by division. 

 Although of secon- 

 dary importance, 

 Mertensias add vari- 

 ety to the border and 

 are nearly always 

 attractive to plant- 

 lovers. 



A. Fls. trnmpet- 

 sJnrjifif, the open 

 ]> II r f i n n nut 

 pruniinently 5- 

 lobed; filaments 

 much longer 

 than the an- 

 them. 

 pulmonarioides, 



Roth. [M. Vinjinlca, 



DC). VlKGINIA_N 



Cowslip. Blue 

 Bells. Fig. 1394. Very smooth and glabrous: Ivs. obo- 

 vate or oblong, or the lowest large, rounded and long- 

 stalked; veins conspicuous : fls. generally more nodding 

 than shown in Pig. 1395. Spring. N. Y. to S. C. and 

 Tenn., usually inhabiting low or moist grounds. B.M. 

 160 (asPulmonaria). B. 8.3:60. Gn. 23, p. 463, and .32, 

 p. 173. V.3:1S1; 7:241; 11:180, and 12:140. Mn 4:33. 



AA. Fls. with the upper portion more bell-shaped and 

 prominent spreading lobes: filaments shorter 

 than the anthers or only a little longer. 

 E. Tube of corolla S or S times as long as the bell. 

 oblongifdlia, G.Don. About 9 in. high, smooth: Ivs. 

 mostly oblong or spatulate-lanceolate; veins inconspicu- 

 ous: calyx lobes acute. Western N. Amer. — Not easy 

 to cultivate. 



BB. Tube of corolla not twice as long as the bell. 

 c, Calyx-lobes obtuse, oblong. 



Sibirica, G. Don. This and the next grow 1-5 ft. high 

 and have broad, veiny Ivs., the upper ones very acute or 

 acuminate. M. Sibirica is pale, smooth and some- 

 what glaucous : stem-lvs. oblong- or lanceolate-ovate. 

 E. Siberia, Rockies and Sierras. Gn. 18:259.— Offered 

 by some American dealers. 



cr. Calyx-lobes acute, lanceolate or linear. 



paniculata, G. Don. Greener than M. Sibirica, rough- 

 ish an<l more or less pubescent: stem-lvs. ovate to ob- 

 long-lanceolate. Lake Superior and north, E. Asia. 

 B.B. 3:60. B.M. 2680 and B.R. 2:146 (as Pulmonaria 

 paniculata). 



M. umbrdtilis, Greenm.. from Oregon, a recently described 

 species, is offered by Horsford. Allied to M. Sibirica, but has 

 larger corolla and longer lanceolate-acute calyx-lobes. 



G. C. WooLSON and W. M. 



MESCAL BUTTON is E,-hi»ocactiis }yilliamsii. 



MESEMBKYANTHEMUM (Greek, midday flower: 

 the flowers usually open in sunshine and close in shadow) . 

 Ficdidem, or MesembryAcea. Fio Marigold. The type 

 genus of a family of something more than 20 genera and 

 about 500 species, widely distributed in dry tropical and 

 subtropical regions. Of tlir (Mliir L^iiuVa known to 

 horticulturists, only Tetragon in nn.l S. -uviuni are promi- 

 nent, and even these are relatively uniiiiiKirtaiit. Mes- 

 embryanthcmum itself includes some 300 species, nearly 

 all of which are South African, according to Sonder 

 "abounding throughout the arid plains and sands of the 



whole country to the south of the Orange river and 

 west of the Great Fish river." Four species are de- 

 scribed by Bentham in Flora Australiensis. Two (M. 

 crystallinum and (equilaterale) are native in California. 

 Others occur in New Zealand, Canaries, Araliia and the 

 Mediterranean region. They are succulent plants, mostly 

 herbs, but some are shrubs. They are allied botanically 

 to the cactaceous series, although lacking the spines of 

 those plants and bearing true leaves. Horticulturally, 

 they are fanciers' plants, and are classed with "succu- 

 lents." Very few are in the general trade, although a 

 number are advertised in California and others are in 

 botanic gardens. Usually the flowers open only in bright 

 sunlight, but there are a few evening-blooming species. 

 As with must sii.'t-iiliiitv. the species are not well under- 

 stood li"taiih all> , (nviii- largely to the difficulty in mak- 

 ing heiliaiiuiii ^1 iiii.iis. Many of them are of odd 



and grotesciue toriu. One species, M. crystallinum, is 

 a common house plant, being known as Ice Plant, but it 

 is one of the least showy in flower. It is grown for the 

 thick glistening foliage. It propagates readily by seed 

 or division. The best available account of the Mesem- 

 bryanthemums is Sender's elaboration of the S. African 

 can species (293 numbers) in Flora Capensis, Vol. II 

 (1861-2) L. H. B. 



In Mesembryanthemum the leaves are mostly oppo- 

 site, entire or the margin somewhat spiny, fle.shy and 

 often subcylindrical or triangulai in cross-outline; flow- 

 ers perfect ami regular, axillary and solitary or some- 

 what corymbose ; calyx gamosepalous, usually with 5 

 uueqiial lobes and the tulie adnata to the ovary; petals 

 very many, in oiif or HKire rows, usually linear, white, 

 yellow or rost-rolor : ^t;^nens very numerous : ovary 

 most commonly r)-loi-ul"d : fruit or capsule opening 

 radially at the summit, hygroscopic: seeds very numer- 

 ous, small. "The capsules are tightly closed in dry 

 weather and open naturally after a rain," writes Sonder. 

 "If Ihn.wn in watt-r until U hecuuH-s thumughlv soaked 

 and thi'ii r,iiio\ .-d, an uM .-ai'sult- will (.p.-n <.iit its capil- 

 lary valves. i-adiaTiTii,^ trniii a (.-f-iit.r like a star; and will 

 close tht'in again whun dry. This t-xperinifnt may be 

 repeated several times without destroying their remark- 

 able hygrometric property." The following species are 

 S. African unless otherwise noted. Mostly perennials. 



MeseinlM-NaTitlirininn. ..r Fiu^ :\larignld, is a large 

 genus. ;mmI III.' in:i.ioi-ii_\ i,t tlie ^jN'ries are natives of the 



Cape ol (i i llM|,r. 'IIm y ;ire fomid in their native 



haliitat-- LzfowiiiL: jimp^i hixunantly un dry, barren, rocky 

 places ami ..u .iry. v;iiMiy plains. They are succulent 

 phmts wirli iliM'k. il.-~li\ leaves, and are therefore able 

 to stand the severe druiii^dit they have to put up with in 

 those arid places. Knowing that these iilants delight in 

 dry, arid situations, this gives the key to their cultiva- 

 tion. When grown in pots, care should he taken that 

 the pots are well drained. A lii^lit. sandv loam, mixed 

 with l>ri.'k ruMusli Im.lieii sitiall. makes a i;o.m] <-oinipnst 

 for them. In summer Ihevean be |.|;„-e-t nut-<.t-.iunrs 



in a sliLi'Iitly elevat.'d and sunny position, where they 

 will pi'oduce an abundance of their showy blossoms. 

 On the approach of cold weather in the fall they may 

 be placed in a cool greenhoiise with a dry atmo.sjilu re 

 and plenty of air. Very little water is need('«l during il;<> 

 dull months of winter. Some of tlie speeies make i:'" d 

 window plants. M. <■<>>;} if,.! in ni , var. r.iri. </'ffin>' is 

 largely grown for edgings for beds. M. jh>i,i, riilimnun 

 and M. tricolorum are good showy annuals. Propagation 

 is effected eitherbycuttings or by seeds. Cuttings should 

 be dried in the sun for two or three days before they 

 are inserted in sand. Robert Cameron. 



aeinacifor 

 aeutuii^ilum, 2\ 

 fequilaterale, 12 

 albiniitum. :^. 

 angnst 

 aurant 



10. 



14. 



l>arbat 

 blaiidu 

 eordifoUuni, 27 

 ci*ystalliniim 

 cidtratum, 6 



24. 



densnm, 33. 

 depressum, ' 

 edule. 13. 

 elegaus. 28. 



inolaixdens, 17. 

 liiignai' forme, 5. 

 mutalnle, 16. 

 muricatum, 20. 



pomeridianum 

 pustulatura, 8. 

 rubrociiu'tum. 

 speet.-ibile, 10. 

 stellatuin. 32. 

 Stipulaeeum. 2 

 subeonipressui 

 tigrinum. 1. 

 tricolor. 9. 



