2042 MESEMBRYANTHEMUM 



MESEMBRYANTHEMUM 



fls. large, yellow or purple, the stamens 8: fr. edible, 

 being one of the Hottentot figs. Grows well on the 

 sea-cliffs in S. England, making long hanging masses 

 (Gn. 55, p. 235, with picture); also used in Calif, and 

 elsewhere to hold sand and to provide ground-cover. 

 Gn. 71, p. 600. 



EE. Branches angular or terete; Ivs. subacinaciform, with 



serrulated angles. 



19. serrulatum, Haw. St. shrubby, when young 

 erect: branches ascending: Ivs. 

 triquetrous rather glaucous, 

 thick: fls. purplish; petals biden- 

 tate, a little longer than the 

 calyx-lobes. 



2366. Mesembryanthemum aureum. ( X K) 



DD. St. or at least the branches, erect or prominently 



ascending. 

 E. Fls. yellow, orange or copper-color. 



20. aurantiacum, Haw. St. becoming 1 ft. or more 

 high, much branched, sometimes decumbent at base, the 

 branches somewhat compressed: Ivs. 1 in. or less long, 

 smooth and glaucous, bluntly triquetrous: fls. orange, 

 with petals %in. l n g an d in about 3 series. 



21. afcreum, Linn. Fig. 2366. Larger: Ivs. 1^-2 

 in. long, cylindrically triquetrous, smooth and glaucous, 

 mucronate: fls. golden, 2 in. across, the petals in many 

 series. B.M. 262. In this and the last, the lower Ivs. 

 are often nearly connate at the base. 



EE. Fls. rose-color or purplish. 



F. Lvs. triquetrous, carinal angles drawn out, often 

 lacerate: branches 2-edged. 



22. mutabile, Haw. With straw-color or reddish 

 tortuous, erect branches: Ivs. about %in. long, com- 

 pressed-triquetrous, incurved, the keel entire, apex 

 acute: fls. mostly solitary on an upwardly thickened 

 peduncle, rose-color, the inner short petals pale yellow. 



23. inclaudens, Haw. Distinguished from the last 

 by scimitar-shaped Ivs. and broader petals : Ivs. crowded, 

 green, compressed-triquetrous and scimitar-shaped 

 (thicker on one edge). 



24. lacerum, Haw. St. erect, branches spreading: 

 Ivs. glaucous, 1J4~2 in. long: fls. often solitary, large; 

 petals numerous, inner ones short, exterior ones longer 

 than calyx, rose-colored. 



25. heteropetalum, Haw. St. and branches erect- 

 spreading: Ivs. glaucous, subfalcate: fls. small, solitary, 

 rarely geminate; petals pale red or whitish, interior 

 ones very short. 



FF. Lvs. subtriquetrous, elongated, acute, very smooth: 

 branches erect, rigid. 



26. blandum, Haw. Two ft., with numerous 

 branches: Ivs. distant, 2 in. or less long, compressed- 

 triquetrous, but with equal sides, narrow, minutely 

 dotted, acutish: fls. 2 in. across, pale rose, the petals 

 toothed. B.R. 582. L.B.C. 6:599. 



FFF. Lvs. subconnate, triquetrous, with equal sides, 

 gradually attenuated: branches suberect. 



27. spectabile, Haw. St. prostrate, but branches 

 ascending: Ivs. 2-3 in. long, crowded, glaucous, in- 

 curved and spreading, triquetrous, attenuate and 

 mucronate: fls. purplish; petals 1 in. long, the inner 

 somewhat shorter. B.M. 396. G.W. 14, p. 649. 



FFFF. Lvs. falcate-recurved, with obtuse angles. 



28. falciforme, Haw. One to 2 ft., branches spread- 

 ing: Ivs. much crowded, triquetrous, angles acute: fls. 

 in 3's or solitary, 1% in. diam., showy; petals in many 

 series, lanceolate; filaments white. J.H. III. 50:493. 



29. rdseum, Willd. To 2 ft. high, branches spread- 

 ing, leafy: Ivs. attenuate on both ends, incurved: fls. in 

 3's or solitary, showy; petals pale rose-colored, in two 

 series. Gn. 62, p. 363. One of the common species in 

 Calif., extensively used in parkings and in terraces 

 where it is difficult to secure a grass sod, and for cover- 

 ing rocks behind retaining-walls. If given water, the 

 foliage has a rather dark green color, but if grown with- 

 out watering it is grayish green and the fls. are some- 

 what smaller although not less brilliant. 



FFFFF. Lvs. compressed-triquetrous, with dilated keel near 

 recurved apex, not toothed. 



30. caulescens, Mill. Shrub to 1 Y^ ft. : Ivs. incurvate- 

 erect, glaucous, acutish, with the sides obtuse, toothed 

 and the keel entire: fls. in 3's, or often solitary; petals 

 obtuse, emarginate. 



31. muricatum. Haw. St. suberect: plant bluish: 

 Ivs. less than J^in. long, somewhat incurved, deltoid 

 and toothed, very glaucous: fls. small and fragrant, the 

 petals acute. 



cc. Foliage-lvs. truly connate or perfoliate. 

 D. Lvs. triquetrous. 



32. uncinatum, Linn. St. diffuse, much branched: 

 Ivs. sheathing at base, glaucous-green, punctate, short 

 and equal-sided, triquetrous, often furnished with 1 or 2 

 spines underneath at the apex: fls. on short, thick 

 peduncles, ^m. diam., rose-colored. Hardy in England. 



33. acutangulum, Haw. St. shrubby, with rigid and 

 erect branches: Ivs. sheathing, J^in. long and about as 

 long as the internodes, glaucous green, triquetrous, 

 compressed near the apex, somewhat incurved: fls. 

 white, small, in a panicle. 



DD. Lvs. elongated, subulate or somewhat cylindrical. 



34. stipulaceum, Linn. Dwarf, with erect, decussate 

 branches: Ivs. 1^-2 in. long, very slender, crowded, 

 spreading and recurved, very glaucous: fls. in the axils, 

 mostly solitary, purplish. 



35. Lehmannii, Eckl. & Zeyh. Branches compressed, 

 ascending: Ivs. spreading, subconnate, turgidly tri- 

 quetrous, without dots, very smooth, glaucous: fls. 

 terminal, solitary, on short peduncles, 1-1^ in. diam.; 

 calyx 6-cleft; petals in many rows, interior ones shorter, 

 pale yellow. 



AA. PAPULOSA: Plant usually bearing glittering papittse, 

 vesicles or projections on sts. and Ivs., hence the 

 popular name ice-plant (species 36-51). 

 . B. Lvs. flat. 

 c. Stigmas 5. 

 D. Root annual or biennial (cult, as annuals'). 



36. crystallinum, Linn. ICE-PLANT. Fig. 2367. A 

 common plant in window-gardens and hanging-baskets 

 and readily grown from seeds (which are offered by 

 seedsmen), procumbent: Ivs. flat, fleshy, ovate or long- 

 spatulate, usually clasping, undulate, covered with 

 glistening dots or elevations: fls. small, whitish or vary- 

 ing to light rose-color. S. Afr., Greece, Canary Isls., S. 

 Calif. . G. 2 : 147. Grown for its glistening foliage. Fls. 

 open in the sun. 



