MERTENSIA 



petioled, somewhat obtuse: fls. deep blue in dense 

 many-fld. racemes, the corolla-tube one-third longer 

 than calyx, with no scales in the throat, the lobes of 

 corolla erect. Himalaya. WILHELM MILLER. 



L. H. B.f 



MERYTA (from the verb to roll, because of the char- 

 acter of the male fls.). Araliacese. Glabrous small trees 

 of the S. Pacific Isls., perhaps 15 species, with large 

 alternate simple coriaceous Ivs. : fls. dioecious, small, in 

 terminal panicles, the sterile with 4 or 5 stamens, the 

 fertile with 4- to many-celled ovary; petals 4 or 5; calyx- 

 limb none or minutely toothed. M. Sinclairii, Seem. 

 (Botryodendrum Sinclairii, Hook.), the PUKA, is one of 

 the rarest plants in New Zeal., but is considerably 

 planted in the northern part where it makes a striking 

 round-headed evergreen tree to 25 ft. high, with large 

 oblong or obovate shining Ivs. crowded near the ends 

 of the branches and terminal stout panicles of greenish 

 white fls. : fr. small, 3^in. or less long, succulent, black. 

 It is intro. in England, and is well worth trying in Calif. 

 G.C. III. 34:422; 45:2. M. Denhamii, Seem., has been 

 cult, for some time at Kew and is used as a stock on 

 which to graft Aralia (Dizygotheca ?) Veitchii. It is a 

 tree growing 30 ft. or more, with variable narrow Ivs. a 

 ft. or two long. S. Sea Isls. B.M. 7927. L. H. B. 



MESEMBRYANTHEMUM (Greek, midday flower; 

 the flowers usually open in sunshine and close in 

 shadow). Sometimes spelled Mesembrianthemum. 

 Aizoaceas. FIG-MARIGOLD. Mostly low-growing suc- 

 culents, grown as pot subjects under glass or in window- 

 gardens and sometimes planted out in summer; some 

 kinds are good bank-covers in mild climates. 



Annual or perennial prostrate or erect herbs, and 

 sometimes subshrubs, with thick fleshy usually opposite 

 Ivs. which are 3-angled, terete or flat, and with entire 

 or more or less spiny margins: fls. white, red or yellow, 

 mostly terminating the branches, usually opening in 

 full sun but a few expanding in the evening; calyx 

 mostly 5-parted, the lobes usually If .-like and unequal; 

 petals very many, linear, in 1 to many rows, united at 

 the base; stamens very numerous, also in many rows 

 and united at base; ovary mostly 5-celled (but variable) : 

 caps. 5- to many-celled, stellately dehiscing at the sum- 

 mit, becoming baccate, hygroscopic; seeds very numer- 

 ous. Mesembryanthemum includes some 300 and more 

 species, nearly all of which are S. African, according to 

 Sender "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 described by Bentham in Flora Australiensis. Two 

 (M. crystallinum and M. equilaterale) are native in Calif. 

 Others occur in New Zeal., Canaries, Arabia and the 

 Medit. region. They are allied botanically to the cacta- 

 ceous series, although lacking the spines of those plants 

 and bearing true Ivs. Horticulturally, they are fanciers' 

 plants, and are classed with "succulents." Very few are 

 in the general trade, although a number are advertised 

 in Calif, and others are in botanic gardens. As with 

 most succulents, the species are not well understood 

 botanically, owing largely to the difficulty in making 

 herbarium specimens. Many of them are of odd and 

 grotesque form. One species, M. crystallinum, is a 

 common house-plant, being known as ice-plant, but it 

 is one of the least showy in fl. It is grown for the thick 

 glistening foliage. It prop, readily by seed or division. 

 The best available account of the mesembryanthemums 

 is Sender's elaboration of the S. African species (293 

 numbers) in Flora Capensis, Vol. II (1861-2), from 

 which the following treatment has been largely taken. 

 Sonder writes that "the caps, are tightly closed in dry 

 weather and open naturally after rain. If thrown into 

 water until it becomes thoroughly soaked and then 

 removed, an old caps, will open out its capillary valves, 

 radiating from a center like a star; and will close them 

 again when dry. This experiment may be repeated 



MESEMBRYANTHEMUM 



several times without destroying their remarkable 

 hygrometric property." 



In sunny and semi-arid regions the fig-marigolds are 

 very appropriate and attractive, covering the soil with 

 plump foliage and giving a display of brilliant colors. 

 They are also used more or less in bedding-out on south 

 borders and exposures in cooler and moister climates. 



2364. Mesembryanthemum f elinum. ( x 14) 



M. edule has extensively run wild in many parts of the 

 world and is useful in covering banks and holding loose 

 sands. It withstands some frost. Any number of spe- 

 cies may be found in the collections of fanciers, and 

 many not described below are mentioned in periodical 

 literature, but they need not be entered here as they 

 are really not horticulturally known. See Succulents. 



The cultivation of the fig-marigolds should consider 

 their natural conditions. They are found in their native 

 habitats growing most luxuriantly on dry barren rocky 

 places and on dry sandy plains. They are succulent 

 plants with thick fleshy leaves, and are therefore able 

 to stand the severe drought they have to put up with in 

 those arid places. Knowing that these plants delight in 

 dry arid situations gives the key to their cultivation. 

 When grown in pots, care should be taken that the pots 

 are well drained. A light sandy loam, mixed with 

 brick rubbish broken small, makes a good compost 

 for them. In summer they may be placed out-of-doors 

 in a slightly elevated and sunny position, where they 

 will produce an abundance of their showy blossoms. 

 On the approach of cold weather in autumn they may 

 be placed in a cool greenhouse with a dry atmosphere 

 and plenty of air. Very little water is needed during the 

 dull months of winter. Some of the species make good 

 window plants. M. cordifolium var. variegatum is largely 

 grown for edgings for beds. M. pomeridianum and M. 

 tricolorum are good showy annuals. Propagation is 

 effected either by cuttings or by seeds. Cuttings should 

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

 are inserted in sand. (Robert Cameron.) 



In the following account, the species are all South 

 African unless otherwise specified. 



INDEX. 



