M E S 



M E S 



be increased in the same manner as above, and 

 also by their creeping stems, which should be 

 cut off and planted out in fresh beds, allowing 

 at least a toot distance every way. The young 

 shoots planted in the spring in the same way 

 also take root like the other sorts. 



The proper time for this work is in the early 

 autumn, that the plants may be well rooted be- 

 fore winter. 



In this way the plants are much stronger and 

 produce larger crops lluui w hen planted out in 

 the spring. When the roots remain so close 

 as is generally the case, they art apt to rot in 

 the winter season. They succeed best in a 

 moist strong soil. 



Some of the species and varieties may be m- 

 troduced in the borders and other parts of plea- 

 sure-grounds, for ornament and variety. 



MESEMBRYANTIIEMUM, a genus con- 

 taining plants of the succulent flowery exotic 

 kinds. 



It belongs to the class and order Jcnsandria 

 Pentagijn'ia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Succulentcp. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a one- 

 leafed perianthium, five-cleft, superior, acute, 

 spreading, permanent; the corolla is one-petal- 

 led: petals lanceolate-linear, very numerous, in 

 several rows, a little longer than the calyx, 

 slightly united at the claws into one : the sta- 

 mina have numerous capillary filaments, the 

 length of the calyx : anthers incumbent : the 

 pistillum is an inferior germ, with five blunt 

 angles : styles commonly five, awl-shaped, up- 

 right, and then bent back : stigmas simple : the 

 pcricarpium is a fleshv capsule, roundish, the 

 navel marked with rays ; the cells correspond- 

 ing with the styles in number: the seeds very 

 many and roundish. 



The species cultivated are : 1 . M. crystaUimim, 

 Diamond Fig Marigold, or Ice Plant ; e. i1/. 

 phnuitifidum, Pinnated Fig Marigold ; 3. ]\L 

 TripnUum, Plane-leaved Fig Marigold ; 4. M. 

 cadiicum. Small-flowered Fig Marigold ; 5. ]\I. 

 piipuloaiim, Angular-stalked Fig Marisjold ; (i. 

 M. geniculijlurum, Jointed Fig Marigold ; J. 

 M. voct'ijiorvm, Night-flowering Fig Marigold j 

 8. AI. splemk'ns, Shining Fig Marigokl; 9. 

 M. iimlellatum, Umbelled Fig Marigold; 10. 

 M. txpansiim, Houseleek-lcaved Fig Marigold; 

 II. Ai, calam'ij'urmc, Ouill-leaved Fig Mari- 

 o'old ; 12. M. beUid'ijiornm, Daisy-flowered 

 Fig ISIarigold; 13. M. dcltoide.t, Delta-lea\cd 

 Fig Marigold ; 14. Al. barhatum, Bearded Fig 

 MarigoldT 15. AI. hhp'uhim, Bristly Fig Mari- 

 gold;" 16. Al. villosinn, Hairy-stalked p'ig Ma- 

 riufold ; 1". Al. scalruin, Rngtied Fis Mari- 

 old " ■ ~ . - -. ^ - - . 



Voi.. II 



gold; IS. Ai. reptunt; Creeping Fig Man- 



gold ; 19. Af. unciiialum, Ilook-leaved Fiir 

 Marigold ; 20. Al. spinosum, Thorny Fig Ma- 

 rigold; 21. /If. rwi-erai'rtw, Tuberous-rooted Fig 

 Marigold; 22. AI. Ic.nuijbUum, Slender-leaved 

 Fig Marigold ; 23. AI. slipuluccum. Upright- 

 shrubby Fig Marigohl ; 24. AI. crassij'olium. 

 Thick-leaved Fig Marigold ; 25. Ai. falcatum. 

 Sickle-leaved Fig Marigold ; 26. AI. glomera^ 

 turn, Clustered l-'ig Marigold ; 27. Al. hkolo- 

 rum, Two-coloured Fig Marigold; 28. Af. 

 scrralum, Serrate-leaved Fig Marigold; 29. 

 AI. inicans, Glittering Fig Marigold ; 30. Al. 

 venicuhdjun, Spit-leavcil Fig Marigold ; 31. 

 AI. glaucum, Glaucous-leaved Fig Marigold; 

 39. M. corjiiculalum, Horned Fig Marigold ; 

 33. AI. riiigcns, Ringent Fig Marigold; 34. 

 Al. dolal'iifitrtne, Hatchet-leaved Fig Marigold j 



35. AI. dijf'onne, \'arious-lcaved Fig Mangold ; 



36. AI. ulbidum, White Fig Marigold; 37. 

 Al. Unguifonne, Tongue-leaved Fig Marigold ; 

 3S. Al. pughiiiifoiiue, Dagger-leaved Fig Mari- 

 gold ; 39. AI. tortuosiun, Twisted-leaved Fig 

 Marigold ; 10. AI. emarginalum, Notch-flow- 

 ered Fig Marigold; 41. AI. hracteatuvi, Brae- 

 teatcd Fig Marigold. 



There are other species that may be culti- 

 vated. 



The first is an annual plant, distinguished by 

 its leaves and stalks being closely covered with, 

 pellucid pimple; full of moisture, which whea 

 the sun shines on them reflect the light, and 

 appear like small bubbles of ice, whence it 

 is called the Ice Plant : others name it the 

 Diamond Plant, or Diamond Ficoides. The 

 stem has opposite and alternate cylindrical 

 branches, which, when luxuriant, trail upon the 

 ground, and are from one to two feet Ion"'. The 

 first four or six leaves are opposite, each pair 

 crossing the other, very lax and succulent, waved, 

 blunt, attenuated or wedge-shaped at the base, 

 and connate, rather kceied underneath, cspeci- 

 all)- at the base, with a slight corresponding- 

 channel along the centre of the upper surface, 

 which is covered with less and duller pimples 

 than any other part of the plant: the margin is 

 regularly edged, with globular papulas or pim- 

 ples, which are less than those on the stems : 

 the upper leaves are alternate, growing less and 

 less, nearly sessile, small : the peduncles ex- 

 tremely short or none, alternate, from the axils 

 of the upper leaves : the segments of the calvx 

 unequal, three of them large and leafy, beset 

 with pilesccnt pimples, and acutely pointed ; the 

 two inner much smaller, frequently coloured 

 with a purplish tinge, acute at the points ; the 

 petals very narrow, blush-coloured Vviihout, 

 w hitish within, sometimes entirely white. It \i 

 a. native of Greece, flowering in July and August. 



