120 



M ES 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



MES 



of the Cape. If planted in a south border, it will cover many 

 feet of ground, and flower and perfect seeds. 



21. Mesembryanthemum Limpidum ; Transparent Fig 

 Marigold. Leaves opposite, spatulate, blunt, rugged; teats 

 oblong; calicine leaflets oblong, blunt, contracted in the 

 middle. Root annual ; stems round, branching, purple, half 

 a foot long or more, procumbent, the whole covered with icy 

 blebs like the fourth species ; flowers elegant, an inch and 

 half in diameter, void of scent. It flowers in July. Native 

 of the Cape. See the fifth species. 



22. Mesembryanthemum Bellidiflorum ; Daisy-flowered 

 Fig Marigold. Stemless: leaves three-sided, linear, undot- 

 ted, toothed in three rows at the tip. Flowers solitary, ter- 

 minating, the form and size of a daisy, whitish with a tinge 

 of purple, and streaked with a purple line along the middle 

 of each petal both within and without. They open about 

 noon, and appear from June to August. Native of the Cape. 

 See the fifth species. 



23. Mesembryanthemum Deltoides; Delta-leaved Fig 

 Marigold. Leaves deltoid, three-sided, toothed, undotted, 

 distinct. This grows two feet or more in length, with a round 

 stem, and opposite branches covered with thick leaves; flowers 

 in a sort of umbel at the ends of the branches; corollas pale 

 purple, sweet-smelling, not longer than the calix; stamina 

 white, upright, and forming a cone; antherse yellow. In 

 warm weather the flowers continue open day and night. 

 There are two varieties ; the first has larger and paler flowers, 

 rather inclining to violet, and appearing three or four weeks 

 later. The second variety has flowers of a pale rose-purple 

 colour, numerous: they open in a morning as soon as the 

 sun shines strongly upon them. These varieties all agree 

 in having triquetrous leaves shaped like the Greek delta A, 

 of a smooth and even surface, appearing porous when held 

 up to the light. Native of the Cape. 



24. Mesembryanthemum Barbatum; Bearded Fig Mari- 

 gold. Leaves subovate, papulose, distinct, bearded at the 

 tip. The least interior petals which surround the stamina 

 are white. There are several varieties: the first has stems 

 somewhat woody and slender. The flowers open when the 

 sun shines from seven or eight in the morning till noon, but 

 shut soon after noon although the sun still shines : they 

 open several days successively, and have a scarcely per- 

 ceptible Hawthorn smell. The second variety is sessile or 

 stemless the first and second year, but afterwards acquires a 

 low stem and resupine branches. The flowers come out 

 later, namely, in September and October; they are somewhat 

 smaller, a pale purple tending to pale violet, and shining. 

 A third variety might be taken for a younger plant of the 

 other; however, the cuttings never protrude such thick and 

 long leaves. It flowers from June to August. Native of 

 the Cape. This, as well as the twenty-fifth, thirty-first, 

 thirty-ninth, fifty-ninth, and sixtieth species, will sometimes 

 abide several winters, on a dry artificial rock, or upon the top 

 or at the foot of a dry wall. These plants thrive best in 

 winter in a dry, light, airy stove or large glass-case, not over- 

 stocked with plants, especially such as cause watery vapours 

 by casting their leaves. The flues should be gently worked 

 in cold and damp weather, and the plants should not be 

 placed too near each other, but ought to have as much free 

 air as possible when the weather is dry and favourable, and 

 should be watered only sparingly in cold weather. Those 

 which hold water within the centre should not be watered 

 over the tops in winter time. 



25. Mesembryanthemum Hispidum ; Bristly Fig Mari- 

 gold. Leaves cylindric, papulose, distinct; stem hispid. 

 Stems and branches from a foot and a half to two feet in 



length, numerous, spreading every way, slender, the lower 

 joints swelling out into knots, an inch or more distant; leaves 

 dark green, shining with innumerable icy globules closely 

 heaped together. Peduncle very rugged downwards, rather 

 to the sight than the touch; calix awnless; flower sweet- 

 smelling, very like that in the preceding species, from wriich 

 perhaps it originally sprung, losing the beard of the leaves, 

 and having it scattered over the stem. There are several 

 varieties : one in which the gobules are less protuberant in 

 this than in the third hereafter mentioned, and more confluent, 

 so that the leaves appear wrinked with them. The second 

 variety is lower, more branched and upright, than the pre- 

 ceding; flowers pale purple. A third variety with flowers of 

 the same size, but of a paler colour: this is very often in 

 bloom ; it opens its gay striated flowers in the forenoon, 

 which being numerous, make a fine appearance when ex- 

 panded, but are handsomest the first time of opening, for they 

 lose their gayest colours long before they fade quite away. 

 It flowers a great part of the year. Native of the Cape. See 

 the preceding species. 



26. Mesembryanthemum Villosum; Hairy-stalked Fig 

 Marigold. Leaves pubescent, connate, undotted; stem hairy ; 

 branches in pairs. The flowers are solitary, terminating, 

 rarely seen, opening only in the forenoon to a very warm sun. 

 Native of the Cape. See the fifth species. 



27. Mesembryanthemum Bracteatum; Bracteated Fig 

 Marigold. Leaves somewhat sabre-shaped, dotted, recurved 

 at the tip; bractes embracing, broad-ovate, keeled. Stem 

 not very shrubby nor very thick, from a foct and half to two 

 feet high; branches woody. The flowers smell like those of 

 the Hawthorn, remaining from July to October in succession, 

 and being open both day and night. Native of the Cape. 

 See the fifth species. 



28. Mesembryanthemum Scabrum; Rugged Fig Marigold. 

 Leaves awl-shaped, distinct, muricate, dotted all round un- 

 derneath ; calices awnless. Stems woody, at bottom bay, the 

 branches yellowish brown, procumbent; flowers solitary, (two 

 or three,) violet purple and shining, but becoming paler, 

 opening two or three times, before and after noon. Native of 

 the Cape. See the fifth species. 



29. Mesembryanthemum Reptans; Creeping Fig Mari- 

 gold. Leaves three-sided, acute, rugged; stem creeping. 

 In the open air it will extend the branches above a foot and 

 half every way, and they will be firmly fixed to the ground 

 by strong fibres at every joint. Native of the Cape of Good 

 Hope. See the fifteenth species. 



30. Mesembryanthemum Emarginatum; Notch-flowered 

 Fig Marigold. Leaves awl-shaped, heaped, somewhat rug- 

 ged ; calices spiny ; petals emarginate. Shrubby but procum 

 bent; even when tied up, its irregular twisted branches will 

 hang down. Flowers several, middle-sized, with scarcely 

 any odour, on slender long peduncles; petals very many, 

 lying one over the other, of a most vivid violet colour ; but 

 the flowers only expand at noon when the sun is hot. Native 

 of the Cape. See the fifteenth species. 



31. Mesembryanthemum Uncinatum; Hook-leaved Fig 

 Marigold. Joints of the stem terminated by connate, acumi- 

 nate, dotted leaves, toothed underneath. Stems slender, round. 

 There are several varieties. Native of the Cape. See the 

 twenty-fourth species. 



32. Mesembryanthemum Spinosum ; Thorny Fig Marigold. 

 Leaves from round three-sided, dotted, distinct; thorns 

 branched. Flowers small, pale violet purple, on slender, leaf- 

 less, green peduncles^ It is an upright thorny shrub, from 

 two to three feet high, much branched. Native of the Cape 

 See the fifth species. 



